At a time when religious fanaticism and Islamophobia are steadily rising in the country, actor Ram Charan recently upheld the true spirit of Indian secularism by visiting and offering prayers at two significant religious sites in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh — the Sri Vijaya Durga Devi temple and the Ameen Peer Dargah. Though his gesture was widely appreciated, some took issue with it, claiming that offering prayers at the dargah while observing the Sabarimala deeksha (which Charan is reportedly undertaking) was inappropriate. While many kept their discussions to their own social media timelines, some took it to that of Ram Charan’s wife, entrepreneur Upasana Kamineni. Nonetheless, she, without even using words, effectively silenced one such critic who attempted to lecture her about Sabarimala customs.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Upasana shared a photo of her husband, dressed in the customary black attire for those observing Sabarimala deeksha, offering prayers at the Ameen Peer Dargah. “Faith unites, never divides. As Indians, we honor all paths to the divine 🙏 our strength lies in unity. 🇮🇳 #OneNationOneSpirit #jaihind. @AlwaysRamCharan respecting other religions while following his own 🫡,” she wrote. While many people praised the couple’s inclusive outlook, one netizen commented, “Ma’am respecting other religions doesn’t mean you go to their dargah in ayyappa Mala. We can respect their religion by not insulting their faith and respect what they do without interfering in our religion! 🙏.”
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In response, Upasana, the vice-chairman of Apollo Charity and chief editor of B Positive magazine, replied with a link to a photo gallery from The Times of India titled, “Embracing harmony: Sabarimala’s unique tradition of praying at the mosque of Vavar.” The article explores the tradition of paying respects at the Vavar mosque, a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity, before pilgrims begin their journey to Sabarimala. The Vavar Juma Masjid is located at Erumeli in Kottayam district, Kerala, 45 km from the Sabarimala temple.
“The mosque is dedicated to Vavar, the renowned Muslim companion of Lord Ayyappa. The legends surrounding Vavar are numerous. In different versions of the story, he becomes an Arab pirate, a Muslim saint, a foreigner from Syria or someone who belonged to the Pandya kingdom. Whoever Vavar might be, one thing that is uncontested is his friendship with Lord Ayyappa,” states the official website of the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kottayam.
— Upasana Konidela (@upasanakonidela) November 20, 2024
#RamCharan visits Kadapa In Ayyapa Mala 🙏🙏
Dargah & Vijayadurgamma temple ❣️ pic.twitter.com/G53wSpEYbI
— Thyview (@Thyview) November 19, 2024
Today, Ram Charan visited a Dargah while observing the Ayyappa Swami Vratha and wearing the Ayyappa Swami Mala.
This is how majority of people in South India practice religion — Deeply devoted to their own faith while showing respect for others. ❤ pic.twitter.com/fxoN3AQC8w
— Veena Jain (@DrJain21) November 19, 2024
Ram Charan visited Kadapa with Buchi Babu Sana, the director of his upcoming film tentatively titled RC16. During the visit, fulfilling an old request by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, the actor also participated in a mushaira at the Ameen Peer Dargah. Meanwhile, his arrival caused a commotion in the locality as massive crowds gathered, leading to chaos on the streets, prompting the police to resort to a lathi charge to manage the situation.
Ram Charan will next be seen in director S Shankar’s Telugu political action masala Game Changer, which will mark Bollywood star Kiara Advani’s debut in Tollywood. Also starring SJ Suryah, Anjali, Samuthirakani, Srikanth and Sunil, the movie will hit the screens on January 10, 2025, coinciding with Sankranti.