Thailand's Ayutthaya and India's Ayodhya: Divided by borders, united by faith in Lord Ram
Ayodhya and Ayutthaya, one in India and the other in Thailand. Separated by geographical boundaries, the two towns are united not just in name but also in faith with the religious fervour in the home of Ram finding echo 3,500 km away in a foreign land. As Ayodhya gets ready for the consecration of a grand Ram temple three days away, devotees in Ayutthaya are also preparing to join the celebrations.
The Ayodhya temple trust has also received soil from Ayutthaya — named after Ayodhya — and water from Thailand's three rivers, including Chao Phraya, Lop Buri and Pa Sak for the Ram temple.
Nestled along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the ancient city of Ayutthaya is located 70 km north of Bangkok and features on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites for its rich and vibrant cultural history.
According to a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member from Bangkok, huge screens are being put up in Hindu temples in Ayutthaya and other cities in Thailand for the live telecast of the January 22 'pran pratishtha' ceremony.
'Diyas' (earthen lamps) will be lit at all the temples and the enactment of the epic Ramayana will also take place while people will sing Ram bhajans on the day, she said.
«We have put up big screens where the devotees will see the consecration ceremony live. We have made arrangements for lighting diyas and prasad will also be distributed,» the VHP leader said.
Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said Ayutthaya is the Ayodhya of Thailand.
«We have received holy soil and water from the rivers there for the consecration ceremony,» he said.
Swami Vigyanand, founder and global chairman of the World Hindu Foundation (WHF) said Ayutthaya is named after Ayodhya, the
