The Delhi government conducted a grand Diwali celebration on Thursday, 4 November, complete with a miniature replica of Ayodhya's Ram Temple that was built at Tyagraj Sports Complex.
The puja for Diwali was performed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal his wife Sunita Kejriwal along with all his cabinet ministers and was telecast live on the party's social media handles.
According to news reports, the replica of the Ram Temple was going to be 30-feet high and 80-feet wide. A raised platform on the ground was also being constructed and was going to be used both for seating as well as other ceremonies.
Meanwhile, other ceremonies will include Ganesh Vandana by Geeta Chandran and her troupe, Diwali Maha Puja by the priests of Jhandewalan temple and Bhajan recitation by noted singer Anuradha Paudwal, reported News18.
Kejriwal has also announced that he will broadcast his Diwali prayer ceremony at 7 pm on Friday, and has requested “the 2 crore people of Delhi that you also worship with me.”
Earlier, on 27 October, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had visited Ayodhya and offered prayers to Lord Ram.
However, the AAP government's construction of the Ram temple replica has triggered mixed reactions amid the public, with some accusing Kejriwal of wasting taxpayers' money during a pandemic on a replica for just one puja, while others have questioned the increased focus on religious identity.
Meanwhile, stressing that the celebration of Lord Ram should not be perceived negatively, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "What is the objection when Diwali itself is about Lord Ram? Lord Ram belongs to all Indians and not just to the BJP or its followers", The Wire reported him as saying.
Yet others have, however, hailed the construction as "wonderful", going on to even post the same tweet in appreciation of the Ram temple replica.
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