“‘Fishes in Sarayu River traumatised’, ‘Infringement of the rights of darkness lovers’, and ‘Muslims marginalised’: Leftwing reportage on Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya”, Opindia, October 28, 2024:
“Ayodhya is beautifully adorned in preparation for Diwali, one of the most significant festivals celebrated by millions of Hindus around the world. This festival commemorates Lord Ram’s return home after 14 years of exile. This year is particularly special for Ayodhya, as it marks the first Diwali celebrations held in the temple town with the newly consecrated Ram Mandir.
Into its eighth year, the UP government plans to deck up Ayodhya with diyas to celebrate ‘Deepotsav’, decorating the city with 25-28 lakh lamps and setting a world record. The Yogi Adityanath government said Diwali celebrations would be undertaken with environmental concerns in mind and eco-friendly lamps would be used to light up the grand Ram Temple.
However, even as the country is drowned in the festive mood and preparations are underway to celebrate Diwali in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, the festivities face threats not from Ravana but a section of ‘conscientious environmentalists’ and ‘secular critics’, armed with their keyboards and tweets, rearing to wage war on the Hindu festival…….”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
