In my previous article on Hindutva and atheism, I already briefly outlined how reclaimation of ancient Hindu shrines being a key objective of the Hindutva movement is one that not only a religious Sanatani can take part in, but also all other Hindus- Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Nastikas and even culturally rooted christians and muslims.

For one to make a pilgrimage to the site of birth of Lord Ram for instance, one does not have to believe he is a deity. One can very well believe that he is either a great historic ruler, or even a mythological hero who depicts justice, courage and virtue and similar symbolic ideals, and still bow to his statue. Revering Lord Ram therefore is not an act of worshipping a supernatural or magical deity but rather an act of revering very earthly and relevant human ideals. It is also an act of being reverential to the heroes among our long list of great ancestors.

Much like Americans across the continent, from sea to sea make a pilgrimage of sorts to Washington DC to see the tall statues of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, and see the grand shrines of the capitol building and these other temples of democracy and freedom, and this is not seen as an act of faith in the supernatural, rather an act of faith in the ideals enshrined in the fabric of American culture and an act of reverence to the great heroes and founding fathers that molded together and spun together many states into one united country, same can be said about the Ram Janmabhoomi piligrimage which invites men and women of all Jatis and Varnas across the span of Indian geographies, speaking diverse tongues and of various hues and complexions, all united in their journey to see the birthplace of a great hero that travelled the subcontinent and united the Aryas, Vanaras, Rakshasas, tribals and many other peoples of the land.

The story of the Ramayana is striking for many reasons, it speaks of a prince from northern Ayodhya who, formed an army of people from the Deccan (Vanaras), an Asura from Lanka in Vibhishana, a Riksha Raja in Jambhavanta, and every other region of India, all united to fight the arrogant tyrant king of Lanka who thought he could get away with injustice. This to many is a symbolic microcosm of the Hindutva movement, which as many envision is one that erases all faultlines within Hindu society to fight for a common cause. Thus mythology and such fiction enables the cycle of action and spins the wheel of progress in every era by providing eternally relevant examples from tales to draw from.

The common mythology of the Ramayana is therefore foundational to the Indian civilization, as this ancient tale is omnipresent in the very soul of the nation. Doing away with this common mythology and making Lord Rama merely a deity of only one religion, or rather only the religious Hindus is to be done at the peril of our social and cultural unity, for it is this story that keeps us a single nation and a cultural unit.

There is therefore absolutely no reason that an atheist cannot take part in this grand movement of temple restoration, particularly the Grand temple at the birthplace of lord Rama for even an atheist like me lives in Indian civilization, amongst Hindus in a Hindu society and raised on Hindu values. The Ramayana being the cornerstone of these values having shapes atheists and theists alike, and being shared cultural legacy for atheists and theists alike. The movement for temple restoration is therefore a proud one even for a Nastika Nirishwarvadi Carvaka like myself.