Why is Ayodhya Ram temple's chief priest fuming over 'prasad'

The chief priest of the Ram temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, has objected to the Sriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's decision to halt the distribution of 'prasad' to devotees from a makeshift temple where the idol is installed.

The deity is housed in the temporary structure until the Ram temple is completed. It was previously installed on December 22, 1949, in the mosque structure of the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.

A few days ago, the trust's functionaries were assigned to distribute 'prasad' some distance from the temple under a new arrangement.

Since January 25, 1986, when the Babri Masjid's lock was opened, allowing for the worship of Lord Rama, 'prasad' has been distributed from there.

On the arrangement, Das questioned whether it was proper for trust workers to serve 'prasad' to devotees instead of priests.

"I'm not sure how many people are in the trust or who is in charge of issuing orders. Whoever comes from anywhere becomes a trustee," he added, naming a few people he accused of being behind this 'incorrect practice'."

"We have introduced this arrangement to put things in proper order," said Prakash Gupta, the trust's officer-in-charge at the Ram Janmabhoomi premises.

He claimed that when 'prasad' was distributed from the temple, it hampered the smooth movement of devotees. Therefore, "we have set up a stall some distance away from the temple where we are distributing 'prasad,'" Gupta explained.

This arrangement has proven beneficial to devotees as they are no longer forced to queue for 'prasad,' he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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• Acharya Satyendra Das
• Ayodhya
• Ram temple
• Sriram Janmabhoomi
• Teerth Kshetra Trust