Ayodhya: Chief Priest of Ram Temple Objects to Trust’s New Arrangement for Prasad Distribution

GG News Bureau

Ayodhya, 9th Nov. The chief priest of the Ram temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, has objected to the Sriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s decision to halt the distribution of ‘prasad’ to devotees from a makeshift temple where the idol is installed.

The deity is encased in the temporary structure until the Ram temple is completed. It was previously installed on December 22, 1949, in the mosque structure of the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.

A few days ago, the trust’s functionaries were assigned the task of distributing ‘prasad’ some distance away from the temple under a new arrangement.

Since January 25, 1986, when the Babri Masjid’s lock was opened, allowing for the worship of Lord Rama, ‘prasad’ has been distributed from there.

On the arrangement, Das questioned whether it was proper for trust workers to serve ‘prasad’ to devotees instead of priests.

“I am unable to understand how many people are in the trust and who are responsible to issue orders. Whoever comes from anywhere becomes a trustee,” he said, naming a few people, who he claimed, were behind this “incorrect practice”.

On the issue, Prakash Gupta, the trust’s office in-charge at the premises of the Ram Janmabhoomi, said, “We have introduced this arrangement to put things in proper order.” He claimed that when ‘prasad’ was distributed from the temple, the smooth movement of devotees got hampered. Therefore, “we have arranged a stall some distance away from the temple from where we are distributing ‘prasad’”, Gupta said.

This arrangement has proved to be a relief to devotees as they are not stuck in the crowd to get ‘prasad’, he said.