All 4 shankaracharyas to skip Ram mandir inauguration in Ayodhya. Know why

The chiefs of the Puri and Joshimath shrines have announced that they will not attend the Ram mandir inauguration because religious scriptures were not being adhered to at the event

Ayodhya Ram mandir inauguration updates: All four Shankaracharya (pontiffs of major Hindu shrines) will not attend the inauguration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The Shankaracharyas head the four shrines called 'peeths' situated in Joshimath in Uttarakhand, Dwarka in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha and Sringeri in Karnataka. The shrines were established by the eighth-century religious scholar Adi Shankaracharya.

The chiefs of the Puri and Joshimath shrines have announced that they will not attend the inauguration because religious scriptures were not being adhered to at the event.

In a video shared on his official X handle on January 9, Joshimath Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati stated that none of the four pontiffs would be in Ayodhya on January 22 because the temple was being consecrated before construction was completed.

"It is the duty of Shankaracharya to ensure that religious scriptures are properly followed," Avimukteshwaranand said, adding, "The scriptures are being undermined by carrying out consecration before the construction of the temple is complete. There is no reason for this rush."

Earlier, on January 4, Nischalananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Puri shrine, said that he would forgo the consecration ceremony as he was "conscious of the dignity of his position."

In a recent interview with Hindi daily Amar Ujala, Champat Rai, the head of the Ram temple trust, said the temple belongs to the Ramanand sect of Hindus, and not to ascetics belonging to the Shaiva and Shakta traditions. The four Shankaracharya are part of the Shaiva tradition.

Avimukteshwaranand, in response to Rai's remarks, said it was immoral of Rai to make the remarks since Hindus of all sects had donated money to the temple.

"If the temple belongs to the Ramanand sect, why is Champat Rai heading the trust?" asked the seer. "He should then hand over the temple to the Ramanand sect before the consecration."

The Ramanand sect was founded by 15th-century Vaishnavite devotee Ramanandi. The Vaishnavites worship the Hindu deity Vishnu, of whom Ram is believed to be an incarnation. Rai does not belong to the Ramanand sect.