On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the consecration of an idol of Ram Lalla in the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Addressing the gathering, Modi expressed the significance of the moment, stating, “Today, our Ram has arrived. After a long wait for ages, our Ram has arrived.” He went on to share the divine vibrations he felt during the consecration ceremony inside the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
“Our Ram Lalla will no longer live in a tent. Our Ram Lalla will stay in a magnificent temple,” Modi said.
“I seek forgiveness from Lord Ram, there would have been some shortcomings in our penance that we could not complete this work for so long. That shortcoming has been overcome. I am confident Lord Ram would forgive us,” he said.
Modi said, “Our Ram has arrived today after wait, patience, sacrifices of centuries.”
He also mentioned that Lord Ram is mentioned in the first copy of the country’s Constitution and thanked the judiciary for ensuring the legal construction of the temple.
“Ram is the faith of Bharat, Ram is the foundation of Bharat. Ram is the idea of Bharat, Ram is the law of Bharat…”
“January 22, 2024, is not merely a date but marks the advent of a new era,” declared PM Modi, emphasizing the significance of the day. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat joined him in the sanctum sanctorum during the ceremony.
The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the idol of Ram Lalla, the childhood form of Lord Ram, witnessed the participation of people from various walks of life. The ceremony, beginning at 12:20 pm, was expected to conclude by 1 pm. The prime minister addressed the gathering following the consecration.
Ayodhya was under a multi-layer security cover for the event, with 10,000 CCTV cameras and AI-equipped drones monitoring the area. Movable barriers with barbed wires were set up at prominent crossroads to regulate traffic, especially during VVIP movements. Multiple NDRF teams trained for various emergency scenarios were deployed for the safety of attendees.
With over 7,000 people on the invitation list, the event featured 506 prominent personalities.
The Ram Mandir is taking shape at the same location where the Babri Masjid once stood. The Babri Masjid, demolished in 1992, led to communal unrest and a prolonged dispute between Hindus and Muslims. The Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling, based on tax records, affirmed the land as government property, directing its transfer to a trust for the construction of the Hindu temple. Commencing in August 2020, the temple’s construction is still underway.
