Swami Nischalanand Saraswati Maharaj, the Shankaracharya of Puri, has said that their decision to skip the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is rooted in the deviation from established traditions during the installation of the Ram Lalla idol.

“The Shankaracharyas uphold their own dignity. This is not about ego. Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the Prime Minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla? The presence of a ‘secular’ government does not imply the obliteration of tradition,” he said while speaking to ANI.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.