“It's false”:Puri Shankaracharya denies differences amidst controversy over Ram Mandir ceremony

Amid a political storm stemming out of reports of the Shankaracharya opting out of the scheduled Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati clarified on Friday that claims of differences between the spiritual leaders over the ceremony were false.

“It's false; there are no differences between the four 'Shankaracharyas' over the Ram Temple 'praan pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya,” said Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati.

According to reports, the Shankaracharyas have allegedly chosen not to participate in the upcoming consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. These four distinguished Shankaracharyas preside over the principal mutts in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Karnataka, which were originally established by the eighth-century seer Adi Shankara.

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Alok Kumar stated that while two of the four Shankaracharyas have openly expressed their support for the forthcoming consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, none of them is expected to be physically present at the grand event. It has been stated that the spiritual leaders intend to visit the Ram temple at a later date, according to their convenience.

Jyotirpeeth Sankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati had previously stated that holding the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple at this stage might not be appropriate, considering that the construction of the temple is yet to be completed.

The highly anticipated Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya is scheduled to take place on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by a diverse array of dignitaries, including athletes, celebrities, spiritual leaders, and business figures, will be present to mark the occasion.​