AYODHYA: For the first time in three centuries, Ayodhya’s renowned Hanuman Garhi temple‘s chief priest will break a tradition and step out of the temple premises to pay a visit to the Ram temple on Wednesday.
As a tradition that has never been broken, the chief priest of Hanuman Garhi temple was required to confine himself within the temple premises, which is defined as an area of 52 bighas, for his lifetime once appointed the head priest of the temple. The tradition that started with the establishment of the temple in the 18th century, was so strict that the chief priest was barred from appearing before the local courts in lawsuits and there are occasions in recorded history when the court came down to the temple for the chief priest’s appearance or to record his statement.
However, the tradition has been set aside for once and with the consent of all religious bodies to allow the chief priest of Hanuman Garhi Mahant Prem Das to visit Ram Temple who has expressed his wish to visit Ram Temple in his lifetime. The Panch (members) of Nirvani Akhara (the apex body of Hanuman Garhi) unanimously granted permission for the visit.
On April 30, the day of Akshay Tritiya, Mahant Das will leave Hanuman Garhi in a procession that will include elephants, camels and horses. There will be a huge gathering of Naga Sadhus, disciples, devotees, and local traders in the procession that will first reach the banks of the Saryu at daybreak. Here, the Mahant and Naga Sadhu will perform a ritual bath before the procession leaves for the Ram Temple, said Mahant Ramkumar Das, the head of Nirvani Akhara.
Hanuman Garhi is revered as the custodian of Ayodhya due to its historical significance, its location at Ayodhya’s highest point, and the belief that Hanuman, a devoted servant of Lord Ram, guards the city. The temple deity is considered the ‘Kotwal’ or guardian of the city, and it’s believed that seeking Hanuman’s blessings before worshipping Lord Ram is a tradition.
