Three from Dom community land invite for Ram Mandir event — who are they and what’s their link to PM Modi?

The three relatives listed among the official invitees are Sunil Chaudhary ,40, Sikander Chaudhary, 38, and Pawan Chaudhary, 38 , all residents of Varanasi.

“About 15 days ago we received the invitation card along with a letter from the RSS. We were informed that all arrangements for our travel to Ayodhya, our stay there and our return on November 25 have already been made,” Sunil Chaudhary said.

Around 20 to 25 people from Varanasi are expected to participate directly in the flag-hoisting ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the event, and organisers say nearly 6,000 guests in all are expected.

“We will be leaving for Ayodhya tomorrow by bus, according to the schedule shared by the RSS. We will stay in Ayodhya on November 25 and will be brought back to Varanasi the following day by bus. All arrangements for our accommodation have been made for us,” Pawan Chaudhary said.

He recalled that during the Pran Pratistha, the consecration of Ram Lalla held in January 2024, Jagdish Chaudhary’s son Om Chaudhary and some other members of the community had attended. “We did not participate in that ceremony. This time we will be taking part,” Pawan added.

Sunil Chaudhary (right), 40; Sikander Chaudhary (left), 38; and Pawan Chaudhary (middle), 38, all residents of Varanasi, have got the invites. (Express Photo)

“We are excited to take part in the function. This is a matter of pride for my community to be invited to Ayodhya,” said Sikander Chaudhary.

The Doms are traditional community in Varanasi responsible for performing Hindu cremation rites at the city’s two principal ghats, Harishchandra Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat, where they work at the crematoria.

They supply the sacred fire used to light funeral pyres, a role regarded as essential for the rituals that, according to belief, help the departed attain moksha (salvation). Despite this central ritual function, the Dom community remains socially marginalized; they continue to face social stigma and remain on the margins of society.

Members of the community say their public recognition rose when Prime Minister Modi filed his nomination in 2019 and Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary was publicly listed as one of the proposers.

Chaudhary’s death in 2020 prompted expressions of condolence from the Prime Minister, which, community members say, strengthened their sense of recognition.

Engaged in cremation work for centuries, the Dom community in Varanasi comprises roughly 500 families who continue to uphold these traditional responsibilities.

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