VARANASI: Mentioning martyrdom of 42 CRPF jawans in terror attack at Pulwama and country’s sentiment Shankaracharya of Jyotish and Sharda Dwarka peeths Swaroopanand Saraswati announced to postpone his Ramagraha Yatra- marching to Ayodhya from Prayagraj to lay the foundation of the temple at Ram Janambhumi (birthplace of Lord Ram) on February 21.
“I am taking this decision in the interest of country as Ramagrah Yatra can divert focus of country towards other issues at a time when countrymen are unanimously willing to see stringent action against the cowardice attack of terrorists”, said Shankaracharya after the requests made by Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad, chief minister and district administration on Sunday morning.
Shankaracharya’s disciple Swami Avimukteshwaranand said, “Shankaracharya has taken this decision but also have cleared that fresh date for carrying out a march to lay the foundation of the temple at Ram Janambhumi will be announced soon after consulting astrologers and scholars.”
Following sharp deterioration in Shankaracharya’s health condition in his camp at Kumbh at Prayagraj on February 12 he was rushed to SSL hospital of BHU. In view of his health condition, the hospital’s medical superintendent Prof Vijay Nath Mishra formed a six-member team of senior doctors for his proper monitoring. His reports cleared that the seer suffered recurrent cough as Pneumonic patches were found in his CT scan while he also had a urine infection. Releasing his medical bulletin on Saturday evening Mishra reported improvement in his condition.
Avimukteshwaranand said that on Saturday late evening he asked hospital authorities to discharge him as he wanted to live in his Sri Vidya Math. “Doctors agreed for it after advising necessary precautions. On reaching Sri Vidya Math Shankaracharya was rigid till midnight to leave for Prayagraj on Sunday to start Ramagrah Yatra”, he said adding, but the Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad’s chairman Narendra Giri sent a letter and requested him to postpone his march.
Avimukteshwaranand said, “The CM Yogi Adityanath also contacted Shankaracharya over the phone and made a similar request.” In the meantime, the district magistrate Surendra Singh and SSP Anand Kulkarni reached the Math. DM said that seer was requested to keep the country’s sentiment in view before taking any decision. He said that Shankaracharya accepted the request and announced to postpone his Ayodhya march. __TOI
