Many of the devotees who have trickled into Ayodhya claimed that the pran prathistha is either a stepping stone for the establishment of a Hindu Rashtra’ or a Hindu state has already been formed. Asked to explain, they pointed to the state machinery’s involvement in the grand ceremony and the announcement of a public holiday in several parts of the country.

The priest who led a special chariot from Lord Hanuman’s “birthplace” in Karnataka told Newslaundry that it’s obvious that India is already a Hindu nation. 

However, Paramahamsa Das, a mahant from Ayodhya who had earlier announced a fast unto death for a “Hindu Rashtra”, said the Constitution has to be changed to make this demand a reality. Nagpur resident Karthik Doke, on the other hand, said India will only become a Hindu nation once the saffron flag replaces the Tricolour.

Watch.

This report is part of a series of ground reports on Ayodhya. Contribute to the Newslaundry Sena project on the Ram Mandir project, The New Ayodhya, and help us tell more such stories from Ayodhya.

This copy has been published with AI assistance.