Since Lord Ram has apparently “turned away” from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on the Ayodhya issue, the VHP is now trying to woo Lord Hanuman and seek his “help” in getting the Ram temple built.
The VHP will be launching Hanuman Shakti Jagran yatras across the country from August 16, which also happens to be the birth anniversary of Tulsidas.
A decision to this effect has been taken at the ongoing meeting of the VHP’s all-India management committee.
The VHP aims at reaching out to 10 lakh villages in the country through these Hanuman yatras which will also carry packet of “Mahabiri” — a paste of vermilion and sandal — as prasad from the Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya. The Mahabiri, packed in tins of one kilogram each, will be applied on the foreheads of devotees in the villages to create awareness about the issue.
“Hanuman Yajnas” will also be performed in the village by VHP activists and Ram devotees.
“The first phase of the yatras will begin from August 16 and conclude on November 15 while the second phase will continue from November 16 to December 17. We hope Lord Hanuman will now remove the hurdles that lie in the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and that is why we are invoking his blessings,” said a VHP spokesman from Ayodhya.
The ongoing VHP meeting, this time, has been kept a low-key affair and its leaders are not too keen on disclosing details of the discussions. “This time, we want our actions to speak louder than our statements and, therefore, we have decided to concentrate on making the Hanuman Yatras a success. Once that happens, the spotlight will automatically come on to the Ram temple issue,” said a senior VHP leader.
The VHP leadership, interestingly, has also not sought local support for its meeting. VHP leaders will be informally meeting the local saints and seers to apprise them of their decision on the last day of the meeting.
It is well known that the VHP’s failure to sustain the momentum on the Ram temple issue has earned its considerable discredit among its followers and the leaders are acutely aware of the sliding popularity graph that is manifested in their inability to pull in crowds for their functions.