"Destiny Decided... I Was Just The Charioteer": LK Advani On Ram Temple
NDTV
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will install the Ram Lalla idol at the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple at noon on January 22, with Prime Minister Modi leading the way.
Fate decided there would be a Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya long before it actually happened, BJP veteran LK Advani declared this week, labelling himself the "charioteer" who steered the controversial 'rath yatra' that began in Gujarat's Somnath on September 25, 1990, and culminated with demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, with Mr Advani on the spot.
Mr Advani, who returns to Ayodhya January 22 to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then his aide, headline the consecration ceremony, also said he hoped the temple would "inspire all Indians to adopt the qualities of Lord Ram".
"At that time (in September 1990, a few days after the yantra began) I felt destiny had decided that one day a grand Ram temple would be built in Ayodhya... now it is only a matter of time. And, a few days after the 'rath yatra' began, I realised I was just a charioteer. The main message was the yatra itself... that was the 'chariot' worthy of worship because it was going to Lord Ram's birthplace..."
