For the “Dilli ki Diwali” event, a replica of the Ram temple that is being built in Ayodhya has been made at the Thyagaraj sports complex in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet will participate in a puja.
The replica of Ayodhya that is being prepared in Delhi's
Thyagaraj Stadium. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
New Delhi: On Wednesday, one day before Diwali, more than a hundred workers were scattering around the Thyagaraj sports complex in New Delhi, working under the Delhi government’s orders to complete a replica of the Ram temple that is being built in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.
The replica is a 60-feet high, 110-feet wide structure that has a saffron roof and is mostly made of thermocol and plywood. As part of the “Dilli ki Diwali” (Delhi’s Diwali) event, it will house an idol of the Hindu God Ram for Diwali puja on Thursday, November 4.
Diwali is celebrated as the day Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana and serving 14 years of exile.
The huge structure, which took more than 10 days to be constructed, will be dismantled after Diwali, according to Guddu Kashyap from Bijnor, one of the many workers involved in the project.
An idol of Lord Ram will be placed here for the puja on Diwali. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
A private agency had been hired by Delhi’s Department of Tourism to prepare the ground for ceremonies on Diwali. It was also in charge of the design, including that of the Ram mandir, as well as the huge entry gate made for the event. Workers have also been assigned the task of decorating the trees with lamps.
Workers prepare lamps that will be put on trees. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
The gate that has been specially prepared for the event. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
While skilled workers such as carpenters are receiving an average sum of Rs 21,000 for their work, workers such as painters told The Wire that they will get Rs 1,000 in exchange for two days of work.
Thirty-year-old Uday Singh, from Rae Bareilly, is a painter. He says the work needs to be finished soon, applying fast strokes on the wall with his brush. Speaking to The Wire, he said, “I do not care for the politics behind any project. For me, work equals securing a meal for myself at the end of the day.”
The ‘Dilli ki Diwali’ event will be held in the Thyagaraj Sports Complex.
Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
Karthik, a worker from West Bengal, said that thousands of diyas (lamps)
will illuminate the ground on Diwali and special stands are being prepared to house them.
Several hundred stands are being prepared for the diyas. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
Huge posters of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal have been placed in the stadium as well as outside it for the “Dilli ki Diwali” event. A photo of a smiling Delhi CM can also be seen, accompanied with the quote, “Welcoming Lord Ram in Delhi style.”
A hoarding inside the stadium with Kejriwal’s photo. Photo: Ismat Ara/The Wire
As part of the event, the Delhi CM, his cabinet and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and their family members will participate in the puja.
The event will also be telecast live from 7 pm onwards for those who want to see the programme, as the general public will not be permitted inside the premises, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols. Kejriwal has appealed to the citizens to participate in the ceremony.
Alongside dance shows and bhajans, a light and sound show will also be held at the ground in the evening to display scenes from the Ramayana.
Last month, Kejriwal had visited Ayodhya to offer prayers to Lord Ram and had also promised free pilgrimage to the temple for senior citizens under the Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojana upon his return to the capital city. Analysts have said that these moves seem to have been made with the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh in mind.
However, observers have also criticised Kejriwal and AAP, who came to power on the plank of anti-corruption, for “excessive focus on religious identity”.
Others have asked when many Ram temples exist in Delhi, why AAP has created a replica of a temple that is still being built to celebrate Diwali.
The Delhi government had also conducted similar celebrations at Akshardham and Connaught Place in 2020 and 2019 respectively, underlining AAP’s intent to tap into the majoritarian sentiment around the Ayodhya Ram temple.
This may emerge as a challenge to the BJP, as the Ram temple has been one of the main reasons behind the saffron party’s appeal among Hindu voters.
Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s deputy CM, told The Wire that the celebration of Lord Ram, who is associated with Diwali, should not be perceived negatively.
“What is the objection when Diwali itself is about Lord Ram?” he asked. Lord Ram belongs to all Indians and not just to the BJP or its followers, he added.
SOURCE ; THE WIRE
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