Ram Mandir Float Features At India Day Parade In New York Despite Protest: Watch

The Ram Mandir float at India Day Parade in New York ran into controversy days ahead of the event as some organisations branded it as 'anti-Muslim'.

Ram Mandir tableau at India Day Parade in New York on Sunday.

Source : ANI

A carnival float featuring a replica of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir featured at the India Day Parade in New York on Sunday despite objections from some US-based organisations. 

The float which was 18 feet long, nine feet wide, and eight feet high depicted the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January this year. The replica was largely carved out of wood in India and shipped by air cargo for the event. 

Devotional songs echoed in the atmosphere as the float moved down Madison Avenue from East 38th Street to East 27th Street in the city. Besides the parade, there was a festival as well with a stage for cultural performances and over 45 booths and food vendors. 

The Ram Mandir tableau ran into a controversy, however, days before the parade as a number of groups called in anti-Muslim and sought to remove it from the event. 

#WATCH | Visuals of India Day Parade from New York; a carnival float featuring Ram Mandir is also part of the parade pic.twitter.com/EJ25i3JWhy

— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2024

A letter was written by some organisations to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochu, dubbing the float anti-Muslim and saying it glorified taking down of the Babri mosque, reported India Today. 

Groups including the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights were among the signatories to the letter. 

"This float's presence represents these groups' desire to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity, but India is a secular country", the letter said.

Responding to the letter, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which was organising the float, said that the tableau represented a Hindu place of worship and aimed to glorify revered as an important part of Indian and Hindu identity. 

(With input from agencies)