In a gesture of appreciation and gratitude, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday showered flower petals upon the workers who were part of the construction crew of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.The prime minister presided over the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla inside the sanctorum of the newly constructed Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Follow Live updates here.
Modi took part in the ‘pran pratishtha’ rituals in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The prime minister also offered a ‘dandavat pranam’ to Lord Ram at the new Ayodhya temple after the consecration ceremony.
In an address after the ceremony, Modi said that Ram Lalla will no longer stay in a tent.
“Our Ram has arrived. Lord Ram has finally arrived (in his abode) following the wait of centuries. After the patience that we showed for centuries and the sacrifices we made, our Lord Ram has finally arrived,” he said.
The prime minister pointed out that January 22 will be marked in history as the beginning of a new era. “The construction of Ram Mandir has filled people with a new energy,” Modi said.
Modi also thanked the Supreme Court of India which paved the way for the construction of the temple by delivering the verdict on November 9, 2019.
“Ram’s existence was questioned… I would like to express my thanks to the Supreme Court for doing justice and the temple was built in accordance with the law,” he added.
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya
The Ram temple delivers on a key 35-year-old promise by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but it has been a contentious political issue that helped catapult the party to prominence and power.
For decades, the temple site was bitterly contested by Hindus and Muslims, leading to nationwide riots in 1992 that killed 2,000 people, after karsevaks brought down the 16th-century Babri Masjid that had stood there.
Constructed in the traditional Nagara style, the Ram Temple has a length (east-west) of 380 feet, a width of 250 feet, and a height of 161 feet. Supported by a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors, the temple is three-storied, with each floor being 20 feet tall. The pillars and walls showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities, gods and goddesses.
