Hinduism is different from other major religions such as Islam, Christianity and Sikhism as it’s the only religion that actually has bestowed names and forms upon the God(s). So we have trinity of Brahma, Vishu and Mahesh and we have their incarnations like Rama and Krishna. In other religions, God is supreme creator of this entire universe and is not given any form or name. These religions have in fact been started by either messengers of Gods like Prophet Muhammad and Guru Nanak or by the son of God, as Jesus is addressed as.
There are holy scriptures like Bible, Quran Shareef, Guru Granth Sahab and Bhagvad and Ramayana that encapsulate teachings of these Gurus, Prophets and Gods. Also, there are stories around lifetimes of these prophets, Gurus, Son of God and gods themselves that have inspired generations of the followers of their respective faiths.
In the matter of faith, it’s absolutely impertinent to question the veracity of the facts concerning these stories that have been passed on from generation to generation as aforesaid. The theory of “to each his own” aptly applies to such matters of faith and in a secular country like India, where the constitution treats all citizens irrespective of caste, creed or religion as equals, respecting not only one’s own faith but all other faiths becomes an essential prerequisite.
It’s most heartening that in the above backdrop, today “ shilanyas” or “laying the foundation “ ceremony of the proposed Ram temple at Ayodhya has been solemnised and that too with utmost peace, grace and dignity for all. Invitation extended to the Muslim litigant and his hearty acceptance of the same, attributing his attending the ceremony to will of Lord Rama, speaks volumes of the communal amity that runs deep into the ethos of our country.
As someone rightly said, Lord Rama has two Swaroopas or forms – one of the God and another of Maryada Purushottam or a Human par excellence. While his Swaroop as incarnation of Vishnu can be matter of faith, his Maryada Purushottam Swaroop is an ideal for all the Indians. In that sense Ram belongs to no faith in particular but to the entire country and in fact, the entire world and therefore, it’s an occasion to rejoice for all and not any particular community or section of citizenry! Like so many religious places that are holy to all communities like Dargah Shareef, Ajmer, Velankini church, Golden Temple and Vaishnodevi, let the Ram temple in Ayodhya be the new symbol of communal harmony and national unity that binds the people of this county together.
Jai Shri Ram !
Arvind Arya blog 