Building Ram temple our grand aim: Mohan Bhagwat

Describing Ram as the symbol of India's culture, the essence of which was unity in diversity, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday called upon the people to honour him by building the temple at Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya.

"The essence of India's culture is unity in diversity. It accepts all and walks along taking everybody together. That is our identity and Rama is the symbol of that culture, that identity," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said at an event here.

"To honour that culture is our aim. Our grand aim is to build the temple there. But it is not a question of just a temple, it his birthplace, the birthplace of the one who is symbol of our intrinsic moral values," he said.

Citing the example of the September 11 terror attack in the US, Bhagwat said it is the core values of a country that always comes under attack.

"When they wanted to teach the US a lesson, they did not attack any church, they blew away the World Trade Center, because America's essence is trade.

"Similarly, it's our temples that were attacked because they are our essence, our core value."

Even as he described building the Ram temple was a grand and pious objective, Bhagwat asserted that "the aim is not to oppose anyone".

"A grand temple needs to be built. When and how that opportunity comes no one knows but we have to be prepared for that," added Bhagwat.