Biman offers prayers at Mandir
DEPUTY Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad is poised to make history as the first foreign leader to offer prayers at the newly constructed Ram Temple at Ayodhya in India.
The momentous event comes on the heels of the temple's consecration by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22nd, underscoring the deep cultural and spiritual connections between Fiji and India
In an interview with DD India's Ramesh Ramchandran in New Delhi, Mr Prasad expressed profound sentiments of identity and kinship with India, the land of his ancestors.
He spoke of the integral role that Lord Ram and the Ramayana played in the lives of Hindus who migrated from India to Fiji as indentured laborers in the 19th century.
Mr Prasad's upcoming visit to the Ram Temple holds significant cultural and personal resonance. Reflecting on the profound impact of the Ramayana on the Indo-Fijian community, he remarked, "Ram and Ramayana have been an integral part of Hinduism for those who left India many years ago as part of indentured laborers."
He emphasised how the recital of the epic narrative and the celebration of festivals like Diwali hold deep significance, serving as cultural touchstones that unite Indo-Fijians with their Indian heritage.
When asked about his emotions regarding this historic visit, Mr Prasad conveyed a sense of pride and connection, saying, "It invokes a lot of emotional ties with India."
When he arrived at Ayodhya, Mr Prasad had said he had received a very warm welcome from the City, the Chief Minister and Government of Ayodhya..
"I offered prayers and thanks on behalf of Hindus from across Fiji and Hindus from Fiji who are settled across the World. They share the joy and celebrate with you respectfully and with purpose. Fiji is a country of many Ram Mandirs."
"Every town has one and most villages will have one. Ramayan mandalis sit almost every week."
"This tradition of Ramayan mandilies is a tradition that Fiji Hindus carry wherever they may live - in Fiji ; across Australia or US or Canada."
" Our holiest text - the Ramayan resonates with us in another way - for in our Lord's exile - we see and reflect on our own exile from our ancestral land of India to Fiji under the cruel indentured laborer regimes that were introduced by the British more than a century ago. "
"My own grandparents were uprooted forcefully not too far from Ayodhya in the district of Balliya. "
Mr Prasad congratulated India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal leadership and for leading the prayers on behalf of Hindus across the world.
He also highlighted that the Hindu faith is premised on respect, tolerance and justice which draws lessons from the life of Lord Ram.
" We seek from the life of our Lord Ram lessons on how we live a life of faith and duty; of righteousness and of service . This we do in small things of how we live within our families.
This we do in big things on how we govern our societies and countries."
Mr Prasad went to say that he hopes that Fiji's Hindus will one day have the opportunity to visit the city of Ayodhya and the Ram Mandir in the years to come.