A priest, who was slated to take part in the foundation-laying ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 5 August has tested positive for COVID-19.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to break ground at the temple on 5 August, sticking to COVID-19 protocols. The management trust of the temple has invited only a limited number of guests to the ceremony.
But a total of 16 police personnel on security duty in the complex have also tested positive for the virus. According to official sources, the priest, Pradip Das, and the policemen have been ordered to self-quarantine at home. There was however, no official word, if the development would in any way affect the upcoming ceremony.
Meanwhile, preparations are ongoing for a grand celebration of the event. The city of Ayodhya has been decorated Diwali-style with lots of lights and people have been asked to light lamps on the evening of 5 August.
Restoration of a temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya is a long-term goal of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and has been a campaign pledge in successive election manifestos.
Hindu zealots razed to the ground, a 16th century mosque, constructed by Mughal rulers at the site, in December, 1992, sparking one of the worst communal riots in recent Indian history.
The land at the site was caught up in one of the longest litigations in India's history involving both Hindu and Muslim religious groups. The Supreme Court of India finally settled the litigation in November 2019, granting the ownership of the land to Hindus, while providing a suitable piece of land to Muslims for a mosque.
India has 528,242 active cases of COVID-19 with 34,968 deaths, according to data released by the federal Health Ministry.