Shankaracharya boycotts Shimla Ram Temple over Sai Baba idol, hoists ‘gau flag’ elsewhere

Shimla: Jyotishthadhishwar Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati 1008 made his first visit to the Himachal Pradesh capital on Wednesday, but his much-anticipated event at the Ram Temple was marred by controversy.

The Shankaracharya, who had come to Shimla to hoist the gau flag’ (cow flag) as part of his nationwide campaign to prevent cow slaughter and elevate the status of ‘gau mata’, boycotted the event at the temple due to the presence of a Sai Baba idol.

Shankaracharya’s national media in-charge, Shailendra Yogiraj Sarkar, confirmed that the Shankaracharya refused to attend the event at the Ram Temple because the temple administration did not remove the idol of Sai Baba, despite being requested to do so. In light of this, the religious leader instead hoisted the ‘gau flag’ from the Jakhu Temple, a revered site in Shimla.

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The Shankaracharya spent the night in Shimla at the residence of one of his followers in New Shimla before continuing his journey. The gau flag, symbolising the protection and sanctity of gau mata (cow), is being hoisted in the capitals of 33 states as part of a nationwide movement.

This campaign holds particular significance as Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand played a pivotal role in the Ayodhya Ram Temple dispute. His contributions, grounded in Vedic scriptures, provided crucial evidence that led to the establishment of the Ram Temple at the site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.

The Shankaracharya’s campaign seeks to remove gau mata from the legal classification of an animal and grant it the status of “Rashtra Mata” (Mother of the Nation). The journey began with the establishment and ‘Jayaghosh’ (victory chant) at the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya on September 22. Over a distance of 25,600 km, the gau flag will be hoisted in the capitals of 33 states, culminating in Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple on October 27.

Shimla, being the 33rd and final state in this campaign, was expected to witness the symbolic hoisting of the flag at the Ram Temple. However, due to the controversy over the Sai idol, the Shankaracharya shifted the venue to Jakhu Temple, underscoring his firm stance on Sanatan Dharma’s principles.