'Real Ayodhya in Nepal': Oli claims Lord Ram is Nepali

Amid ongoing diplomatic tussle with India, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday claimed that that Hindu deity Lord Ram was actually born in Ayodhya village of Nepal and not in India as claimed. 

Speaking during a programme at his official residence, Oli said Lord Ram is Nepali, not Indian. 

"Although real Ayodhya lies at Thori, city in the west of Birgunj, India has claimed that Lord Rama was born there. Due to these continuous claims even we have believed that deity Sita got married to Prince Rama of India. However, in reality, Ayodhya is a village lying west of Birgunj," Oli claimed.

He accused India of cultural encroachment by "creating a fake Ayodhya." 

"Till now we have remained under the belief that Ram, the man Sita married, was an Indian... he was not, he was a Nepali," Oli said.

"Balmiki Ashram is in Nepal and the holy place where King Dashrath had executed the rites to get the son is in Ridi. Dashrath's son Ram was not an Indian and Ayodhya is also in Nepal," he claimed.

Oli questioned how Lord Rama could come to Janakpur to marry Sita when there was "no means" of communication. He further said that it to be impossible for Lord Rama to come to Janakpur from present Ayodhya that lies in India.

"Janakpur lies here and Ayodhya there and there is talk of marriage. There was neither telephone nor mobile then how could he know about Janakpur," Oli said.

The remarks are likely to create controversy as Hindus in India widely believe Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh as Ram's birthplace. Janakpur in Nepal, on the other hand, is mythologically revered as the birthplace of Sita. 

In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Janakpur in Dhanusa District of Nepal and had inaugurated a direct bus service to Ayodhya as part of a ‘Ramayan Circuit’ to promote religious tourism. He had also visited the 20th century Janaki temple, dedicated to Sita, where he offered special prayers.

Modi had also announced a Rs 100 crore package to develop Janakpur.

Oli's comments come amid his government's ongoing diplomatic tussle with India. Nepal's Parliament had in June unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, territories traditionally belonging to India.