Ayodhya: Everyday it’s only the main priest Satendra Das and his four assistants who perform the ‘puja’ with devotees kept out of the worship proceedings. But this Ram Navmi, observed as the birth anniversary of Hindu deity Ram, is falling after the historic Supreme Court verdict paved the way for handing over of the disputed land to a trust to build the Ram temple.
There have been demands that Ram Navmi celebrations on April 2 be cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the local administration is keen to carry on. The trust has allowed the devotees to witness the proceedings and also raised the budget for celebrations from Rs 51,000 to Rs 1,50,000.
Mahant Satendra Das, who has been a priest at the Ram Janmabhoomi since 1992, before the Babri Masjid was brought down, said they can make better arrangements with the new allocation of funds.
“Yes, this year, the devotees can see the aarti on Ram Navmi. The idols are being shifted to a new place (250-300 metre from the existing place) on March 25,” Mahant Das told BB . “Every month, the offerings come to the tune of Rs 10 lakh but we used to get only Rs 51,000. With the increased budget, the quantity of ‘Prasad’ will also be more this year.