Ayodhya is all set for the consecration ceremony of Lord Rama’s idol which will likely be held on January 22, 2024. Ultimately, the idol of Lord Rama will likely be enshrined within the sanctum sanctorum of the newly constructed grand Ram temple. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders will likely be in Ayodhya on January 22, Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan will carry out bhajans within the Ram temple in Orchha of the state.
The Ram temple in Orchha, positioned within the Bundelkhand area of Madhya Pradesh, has a particular reference to Ayodhya. The story of the Ram temple in Orchha, located roughly 450 kilometres away from Ayodhya, is sort of 600 years previous. According to the legend, within the sixteenth century, Maharani Kunwari Ganesh, the queen of Bundela ruler Madhukar Shah of Orchha, introduced the idol of Rama from Ayodhya to Orchha. However, there are two prevalent narratives relating to the transportation of Lord Ram to Orchha.
According to mythological tales, Madhukar Shah, the ruler of Orchha, was a devotee of Lord Krishna, whereas his queen Kunwari Ganesh was a devotee of Lord Ram. This distinction in devotion typically led to disputes between them. Once, when Madhukar Shah prompt a visit to Vrindavan, the queen politely declined and insisted on going to Ayodhya as a substitute. In response, the king challenged her to deliver Lord Rama from Ayodhya to Orchha if she actually believed in his existence.
Subsequently, Maharani Kunwari visited Ayodhya and underwent rigorous penance for 21 days. However, when Lord Rama didn’t manifest, she jumped into the Sarayu River. It is alleged that upon witnessing the queen’s devotion, Lord Rama appeared within the river and sat in her lap. The queen then pleaded with Rama to come back to Orchha from Ayodhya. Following this, Lord Rama arrived in Orchha and manifested within the queen’s kitchen.
Another widespread perception means that through the sixteenth century, when overseas invaders have been destroying temples and idols in India, saints of Ayodhya submerged the idol of Lord Rama within the birthplace itself, burying it within the sand. Maharani Kunwari Ganesh introduced this idol to Orchha. Madhukar Shah, being a king who defied Akbar within the courtroom, was seen as a protector of Hinduism. Observing his dedication to Hinduism, Ayodhya’s saints trusted that the idol of Lord Rama can be secure in Orchha. Thus, they entrusted the idol to Maharani Kunwari Ganesh. This perception aligns with the continued assertion that the unique idol of Lord Rama’s birthplace is enshrined within the Ram Raja temple in Orchha.
बंदउँ नाम राम रघुबर को।
राम नाम ही जीवन है, जीवन का सच्चा सुख है। भगवान श्री रामराजा की कृपा से आज ओरछा में ‘श्रीराम राजा लोक’ के शिलान्यास का सौभाग्य प्राप्त हुआ।
मेरा मन आनंद से भरा हुआ है कि 12 एकड़ में श्रीराम राजा लोक बनेगा, जिसमें भव्य प्रवेश द्वार होगा। इस अनुपम लोक में… pic.twitter.com/5dmQgQSxbZ
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) September 4, 2023
Shivraj Singh Chouhan had additionally promised to renovate the Orchha temple. In September final yr, as then CM of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan had laid the inspiration of the Lord Ram Raja temple hall or ‘Shri Ram Raja Lok. He mentioned that the Ram Raja Lok can be constructed on 12 acres, which might have a grand entrance and Lord Shri Ram’s childhood and Uttarkand would even be depicted on this distinctive temple.
