Ayodhya (UP), Jan 24 (IANS): The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has claimed that a monkey allegedly entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, where the idol of Ram Lalla resides, on the day the temple was thrown open to the public.

In a post on X, the trust said that around 5:50 p.m. on Tuesday, a monkey entered the temple through the southern gate and made its way to the vestibule. It then approached the Utsav idol, an older idol of Ram Lalla that used to be housed in a tent before the new temple was built.

Security personnel stationed nearby, concerned about the idol's safety, rushed towards the monkey.

However, the monkey calmly retreated and moved towards the northern gate, which was closed. It then exited through the eastern gate, passing through the crowd of devotees without causing any harm.

The trust said that the security personnel reportedly viewed the monkey's visit as a divine blessing, believing it to be Lord Hanuman himself coming to see Ram Lalla.

This perception is further fuelled by the recurring association of monkeys with Hanuman, devoted to Lord Ram and a central figure in the Ramayana.

Monkeys, seen as avatars of Hanuman, have been a recurring emblem throughout the Ram Janmabhoomi movement's history.

On October 30, 1990, when kar sevaks surged past barricades and hoisted saffron flags atop the Babri Masjid, a monkey perched itself on the central dome, safeguarding one of the flags from being removed after the crowd was dispersed by security forces.