India, July 24 -- Seers attending a key meeting convened by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday rallied behind former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, as they called for restoration of Ayodhya's image and strict adherence to Ramanandi traditions. The meeting began at around 3.30 pm at Shri Ram Satsang Bhavan in Maniram Das Chhawani and concluded around 6 pm. Around 100 people, including the seers, VHP and RSS officials, attended it. According to sources, "restoration of Ayodhya's image" emerged as one of the central themes of the discussions, with participants expressing concern over the political controversy triggered by the alleged theft of devotees' offerings and its "impact on the reputation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust." Kamal Nayan Das, the designated successor of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, had said the central theme of Thursday's meeting would be "Rashtra aur Sanatan". "Representatives of mutts and temples from across Ayodhya will participate in the meeting," he had said. Jai Ram Das, associated with the organisers, said one of the key issues on the agenda was devising a mechanism through the trust to ensure that all temple rituals, festivals, celebrations and methods of worship are conducted strictly according to the Ramanandi tradition.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.