Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Declines Worship at Partially-Constructed Ram Temple

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotirmath, Uttarakhand, refused to offer prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, asserting that worship cannot be held in a partially-constructed shrine. He vowed to worship only when the temple is completed. He also initiated a campaign advocating for cow protection nationwide.

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati of Jyotirmath, Uttarakhand, abstained from offering prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Sunday, insisting that rituals cannot be performed in a partially-constructed shrine.

The Shankaracharya stated he would only offer worship once the temple's "shikhar" (topmost part) is fully completed.

"Prayers cannot be offered in a partially-constructed temple. It is incomplete," Saraswati told reporters. He led a special prayer service at the Chineshwarnath temple and circumambulated the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya's Ramkot locality.

Saraswati also launched a nationwide "Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra" from Ayodhya, convening a congregation of seers which urged the government to enact laws ensuring the inviolable protection of cows.

Addressing the gathering, Saraswati lamented that India, despite revering cows as Gau Mata, is the second-largest exporter of cow meat globally. He called for a ban on cow slaughter and announced that their yatra will cover various regions, with mahants and the masses joining the cause.

(With inputs from agencies.)