Ahmedabad, Jan 21 (IANS) Slaughterhouses across Gujarat will remain closed on January 22 to mark the completion of two years since the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, the state government announced on Wednesday.

The Urban Development and Urban Housing Department has issued a directive to commissioners of all municipal corporations and municipalities, instructing them to ensure the closure of slaughterhouses within their respective jurisdictions on Thursday.

According to the department’s communication, the decision has been taken in view of the second anniversary of the Ram Temple’s inauguration and consecration ceremony, also known as Pran Pratishtha.

The consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple was held on January 22, 2024, during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the rituals for the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

In Hindu tradition, the cow is revered as sacred and associated with deities such as Lord Krishna, representing non-violence (ahimsa), abundance, and motherhood.

Beyond religion, cows have traditionally been central to India’s agrarian economy, providing milk, manure for natural fertilisers, and fuel through cow dung, sustaining village livelihoods for centuries.

Their protection has also influenced social customs, laws, and political discourse, making the cow not just an animal but a powerful cultural and emotional symbol in Indian society.

The Ram Temple in Ayodhya stands on a site long revered by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Ram and has been at the centre of religious, cultural, and legal history for centuries.

A temple is believed to have existed there until the Mughal-era Babri Masjid was built in the 16th century, leading to decades of dispute that shaped modern Indian politics and law.

After years of litigation, the Supreme Court of India in 2019 awarded the land for the construction of a Ram temple, paving the way for a new structure under a trust formed by the government.

The grand temple’s consecration (Pran Pratishtha) took place on January 22, 2024, marking a significant moment in India’s contemporary religious and historical narrative.

–IANS

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