Hindu Americans to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5, at the Times Square in New York City

The Hindu Americans will celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5, at the Times Square in New York City with special programs and large displays of Lord Sri Ram and models of the temple.

The program starts 7:30 am with diya lighting and bhajans. Images of lord Ram and 3D portraits of the grand Ram Temple will be beamed across the giant billboards from 8 am to 10 pm.

8:30 pm: speeches by eminent personalities. 9 pm: sweet distribution.

The celebration is led by Jagdish Sewhani, chairman of the Ram Janma Bhoomi Shilanyas Celebrations Committee of USA.

Meanwhile a group of organizations have sent a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Balasio against the celebrations. The organizations included Coalition Against Fascism in India (CAFI), Global Indian Progressive Alliance (GIPA), Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and Indian Civil Watch International (ICWI).

They said that this propaganda project offers a one-sided view devoid of deeply troubling historical context. The planned display is a deep affront to the Muslim community, whose members were disproportionately killed in communal riots after the demolition of Babri Masjid. The marked day of celebration also coincides with the Indian government’s move to revoke statehood from Jammu & Kashmir. (Read their letter to the Mayor in PDF below)

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