You will find description of Lord Rama and Rama Katha even in Iran and China, says PM

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 5

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Wednesday performed the ‘bhumi pujan’ of the long-awaited Ram Temple in Ayodhya and likened the Ram Janmabhoomi’s “centuries of struggle” to India’s Independence movement, also had messages for detractors at home and neighbour China.

Speaking about parts of the World where Lord Rama is venerated owing to their faith or past, the PM said “you will find description of Lord Rama and Rama Katha even in Iran and China”.

“I am sure that the people of these countries will also be feeling pleased on the occasion of the beginning of construction of temple of Lord Rama. After all, Lord Rama belongs to all and lives in all,” he said.

“Many countries of the World are saluting Lord Rama, their citizens believe themselves to be affiliated to Lord Rama. Indonesia is the country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. They are having various unique versions of Ramayana i.e. ‘Kakawin Ramayana’, ‘Swarnadeep Ramayana’, ‘Yogeshwar Ramayana’ just like our country. Lord Rama is venerated and adored there even today.

“There are ‘Ramker Ramayana’ in Cambodia, ‘Fra Lak Fra Lam Ramayana’ in Lao, ‘Hikayat Seri Ram’ in Malaysia and ‘Ramaken’ in Thailand. In Sri Lanka, the katha of Ramayana is taught and sung in the name of ‘Janaki Harana’ i.e. abduction of Janaki. Nepal is directly connected to Lord Rama through Mata Janaki,” he said.

Speaking about the connection between Lord Rama and different parts of India and religions, he said “thousands of years ago, Rama who was an inspiration to the ancient India as depicted in Valmiki’s Ramayana, Rama who was inspiring India through Tulsi, Kabir and Nanak in the medieval era, the same Rama was present in the Bapu’s bhajans during the fight for freedom in the form of non-violence and satyagraha.

“Tulsi’s Rama was with form (sagun) while Nanak and Kabir’s Rama was formless (nirgun).

“Lord Buddha was also connected to Lord Rama. At the same time, this city of Ayodhya has also been the centre of Jain religion for centuries. This is the ubiquity of Rama, it reflects the unity in diversity that is of India.

“In Tamil, we have Kamb Ramayana while in Telugu we have Raghunath and Ranganath Ramayana.

“We have Ruipad-KaterpadiRamayan in Odiya, while there is Kumudendu Ramayana in Kannada. In Kashmir, you will find Ramavatar Charit while Ramacharitam in Malayalam.

“In Bangla, we have Krittibas Ramayana while Guru Gobind Singh has himself written Gobind Ramayana.

“You will find Rama in different forms, in the different Ramayanas, but Ram is present everywhere, Rama is for all. That is why, Rama is the connecting link in India’s ‘unity in diversity’,” the PM said.