‘Ram Lalla Virajman’ that fought temple suit for decades to be placed as ‘festival idol’ | Lucknow News
‘Ram Lalla Virajman’ that fought temple suit for decades to be placed as ‘festival idol’ | Lucknow News
Having remained in a structure inside the then Babri Majid in 1949 to a makeshift structure called “tent” in 1992 to a “temporary garbhgriha” in 2020 — all eyes were set on the fate of “Ram Lalla Virajman”, as the existing idol of the deity known as, since a new idol will be placed during the “pran pratishtha” (consecration ceremony) at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Putting all speculations to rest, temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das and officials of the Ram Janmabhumi Teerth Kshetra Trust said the plan is to place the existing metal idol, 8-9 inch in height, as “utsav murti” (idol for festivals or rituals) that can be moved around.
It is likely to be placed in front of the new idol for puja rituals, they added.
While the new 51-inch-tall stone idol, which has Ram Lalla in a standing posture, will be called “Achal Murti” (immovable idol), the existing one will be referred to as “Utsav Murti” or “Chal Murti” (festival or movable idol), it is learnt.
“In no way can Ram Lalla Virajman be neglected. First, he stayed in the disputed structure, fought the long battle for his home, and then lived in a makeshift tent. He finally got his home,” Das said.
With Iqbal Ansari, a former litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case, sitting next to him, Das said it was “Ram Lalla Virajman” that fought the legal battle for 32 years and lived in a makeshift structure all this while, until it won in 2019.
On the exact placement of the old idol, the chief priest told The Indian Express, “The matter had come up for discussion and it was suggested that those coming for the darshan of Ram Lalla should also be able to have a glimpse at “Ram Lalla Virajman”. The plan is to place him in front of the new idol.”
The new idol, he added, will be placed in the “garbhagriha” in such a manner that the rays of the sun fall on its forehead on the day of Ramnavmi.
The 74-year-long journey of idol
According to records, “Ram Lalla Virajman” had “appeared” under the central dome of the erstwhile Babri Masjid complex on the intervening night of December 22-23, 1949.
Following this, cases were filed from both sides making claims on the site, which was then declared as “disputed” by the government. As the case remained in courts, the idol remained at the disputed site.
In 1989, “Ram Lalla Virajman” became one of the litigants in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit and the case was fought on its behalf. The idol remained in the disputed structure till December 6, 1992, when Babri Masjid was demolished.
While there are many theories about where the idol went during the demolition, locals say it “suddenly reappeared” and was placed in the makeshift structure on the same day i.e. December 6, 1992.
The idol remained in the “makeshift structure”, also referred to as “tent” or “tripal” (tarpaulin) for nearly 28 years till the verdict in the Ram Janmabhumi-Babri Masjid title suit was given on November 9, 2019.
On March 25, 2020, amid Covid-19 and pandemic protocols, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shifted the idol from the makeshift structure to the makeshift temple. The idol was shifted to a “silver throne” from a wooden throne in the new structure.
