Three Dom community members get special invite to Ayodhya Ram temple event
Three members of the Dom community from Varanasi have been invited to the big flag-hoisting ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple on November 25.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be there too, celebrating the completion of the temple's main construction.
The invitees are relatives of late Dom Raja Jagdish Chaudhary, who was one of the proposers for Modi's candidature in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Why this matters
The Dom community handles cremation rituals and provides the sacred fire believed to help souls find peace—a role that's central in Hindu tradition but often overlooked.
Despite their importance, they've faced social marginalization.
This invitation is a rare public nod to their significance and follows Chaudhary's support for Modi in 2019.
A 1st for the Doms at this scale
Around 6,000 guests are expected at this major event—the first time these specific Dom representatives, Sunil, Sikander, and Pawan Chaudhary, will join since the temple was consecrated last year.
Their presence highlights a shift toward recognizing communities that play key roles in tradition but rarely get such visibility.