Ram Mandir updates: Hindu American community members have held a massive car rally across Houston in view of the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya scheduled later this month, and stopped at 11 temples along the way, singing bhajans and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during their entire show. The temples have received a formal invitation from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla to be held on January 22. Over 500 Indian-Americans carried saffron banners having image of Ram temple, the Indian flag and the US flag and took part in the rally in a 3-miles-long line of 216 cars escorted by eight policemen on bikes.
Details of the rally
The rally started at Sri Meenakshi Temple by Houston philanthropist Jugal Malani and concluded in late afternoon at Sri Sharad Amba Temple in Richmond.
Criss-crossing across Houston’s busy roadways, the procession, led by a truck, covered 100 miles with stopovers at eleven temples over six hours.
Nearly 2,000 devotees which also included both young and old welcomed the procession with bhajans at the temple. Some of them were teary-eyed while they joined the rally.
“The chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' and sounds of conches ensured full sensory overload for every person present at the temples. And yet again the vastness of Shri Ram’s influence and unwavering devotion of his followers was undeniable. But the best part was experiencing this perspective with fellow Ram 'bhakts'," said Kusum Vyas, founder of Living Planet Foundation.
Organisers of the rally
The rally, which was first of its kind, was organised by Houston volunteers Achalesh Amar, Umang Mehta and Arun Mundra.
“The devotion and love shown by over 2,500 devotees gathered at various temples to car rally participants was overwhelming. Lord Shri Ram certainly resides in the heart of the Houstonians,” Amar said, who is also a member of the VHPA.
“We are blessed to be living in this time and to be celebrating the return of Shri Ram to Ayodhya. The atmosphere was so charged with devotion and love that it felt like Shri Ram had himself arrived in Houston,” Mehta said.
Mundra said that they presented the temple officials with a beautifully crafted invitation basket that contained the formal invitation from VHPA, sacred rice from Ayodhya, 'Ram Parivar', 'Gangajal', a copy of Sundar Kand (of Ramayana) and some sweets.
"This was handed over to each temple requesting their participation in the Pran Pratishtha Mahotsav of the magnificent Shri Ram Lalla Mandir," Mundra added.
(With PTI inputs)
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