From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mahadevapura (Bengaluru), Jan 22: Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asserted that he is not an atheist but a believer and has built a temple for Lord Rama in his native place.
On a day the entire country is awash with images of the consecration of Lord Rama’s idol in Ayodhya with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and other top religious and political leaders are praying at the Rama Mandir, Siddaramaiah said, "God will not accept the puja if it is performed dramatically after doing irreligious and inhuman work.’’
The chief minister, who inaugurated the installation of the Rama-Sita-Lakshmana temple and a monolithic 33-ft Anjaneya Swamy idol at Mahadevapura in the city under the auspices of the Hirandahalli Sri Rama Temple Trust in Bidarahalli hobli, said Rama was an ideal person who wanted everybody to live as equals and with love.
Siddaramaiah said he is not an atheist but a believer and has built a Rama temple in his native place. There are temples in all villages of Karnataka. "People worship Rama in accordance with their beliefs and offer pujas and prayers,’’ he said.
The chief minister shouted the slogan, 'Jai Sri Ram' and exhorted the people who had assembled to shout, 'Jai Sri Ram' and said the slogan is not the personal property of any one person but belongs to all devotees.
"Lord Ram was socially oriented and even respected the words of a washerman. He underwent vanvas to honour his father. Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita as well as Anjaneya can never be separated as they are all part of the family. All are revered by the devotees," he said.
The epic Ramayan was written by Valmiki, who was a Scheduled Caste, and presented the epic to the entire world. "Basavanna preached that God is part of our life, soul and body and presented the eternal truth of god is within the body,’’ he said quoting the Vachanas of Basavanna Kannada’s leading poet Kuvempu’s description of 'Sarva janagada tota (garden of all communities)' is also included Ram’s personality and ideals and urged people not to hate one another and love all people.
Several ministers and legislators attended the programme.