Several pregnant women in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur have requested doctors at a government hospital to undergo caesarean section deliveries on January 22, when the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is scheduled to be held.
The acting incharge of the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College, Seema Dwivedi told PTI that they have received written requests for 12-14 such deliveries in one labour room.
"The arrangements are being made for 35 caesarean operations on January 22,” Dwivedi told the news agency. The hospital usually performs 14 to 15 operations a day.
Considering it as an “auspicious day”, the expectant mothers and their family members have made such requests to the doctor even if their delivery dates are a few days before or after January 22.
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The first phase of the construction of Ram Temple is nearing completion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol on January 22.
Dwivedi said often the expectant mothers find out an auspicious date and time from priests and request their deliveries on that day. She recounted several experiences when she delivered babies on a specific time and date because the mothers and the family members stressed that the delivery be done on the ‘muhurta’ given by a priest.
“It is concerning that sometimes the family members even expect us to overlook complications that may arise for the mother and the child by doing so," Dwivedi said.
“The mothers believe that Lord Ram is the symbol of heroism, integrity and obedience, therefore babies born on the day of the ‘pran pratishtha’ at the temple will also have the same qualities," she added.
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One of the expectant mothers at the hospital, Malti Devi (26) — whose delivery date is on January 17 — has made the request to get her baby delivered on January 22. She said that she wants her child to be born on the day when the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol will be performed at the Ram Temple.
“I hope that my child will grow up to have success and glory,” she told the news agency.
"We want the birth of our child to align with the arrival of Ram Lalla in our homes,” said the family of another woman, whose delivery due date is close to January 22, as per IANS
“Waiting for the Ram temple for 100 years, it will be a fortunate moment when our child enters the world," the family said.