‘Aaj humare Ram aa gaye hai’: India holds grand welcome of Lord Ram in Ayodhya after 500 years I VIDEO
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Ram Mandir is now open: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday opened a Hindu temple in the northern city of Ayodhya, where the country’s top celebrities from across the life were seen in great attendance. The temple, which is still under construction, is dedicated to Hinduism’s Lord Ram and fulfils a long-standing demand by millions of Hindus who worship the revered deity.
Prime Minister Modi, dressed in a traditional kurta tunic, led the opening ceremony as Hindu priests chanted hymns inside the temple’s inner sanctum, where a 1.3-meter (4.3-foot) stone sculpture of Lord Ram was installed last week.
A conch was blown by a priest to mark the temple’s opening and Modi placed a lotus flower in front of the black stone idol, decked in intricate gold ornaments and holding a golden bow and arrow.
Millions of Indians watched the ceremony on television, with news channels running non-stop coverage of the event, portrayed as a religious spectacle.
How India is celebrating the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
Nearly 7,500 people, including elite industrialists, politicians and movie stars, witnessed the ritual on a giant screen outside the temple as a military helicopter showered flower petals.
Ayodhya, once crowded with tightly packed houses and rundown stalls, has undergone an elaborate makeover in the lead-up to the temple’s inauguration. Narrow roads have been turned into a four-lane pilgrimage route leading to the temple, tourists are arriving at a new airport and sprawling railway station, and major hotel chains are building new properties.
Jubilant devotees from across the country have arrived to celebrate the opening, with groups of them dancing to religious songs that blare from speakers on roads bedecked with flowers. Huge cut-outs of Lord Ram and billboards of Modi are ubiquitous across Ayodhya, where the borders have been sealed to prevent more people from coming in. Some 20,000 security personnel and more than 10,000 security cameras have been deployed.
History of building Ram Temple in Ayodhya
Built at an estimated cost of $217 million and spread over nearly 3 hectares (7.4 acres), the temple lies atop the debris of the 16th-century Babri Mosque, which was razed to the ground in 1992, who believed it was built on temple ruins marking the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The site has long been a religious flashpoint for the two communities. The dispute ended in 2019 when the Supreme Court called the mosque’s destruction “an egregious violation” of the law but granted the site to Hindus while giving Muslims a different plot of land.
Officials say the temple, a three-story structure made of pink sandstone, will open to the public after the ceremony and they expect 100,000 devotees to visit daily. Builders are still working to finish 46 elaborate doors and intricate wall carvings.
“Ram aaye hain”
The inauguration has morphed into a massive national event. The Indian government live telecasted the event across the country and even movie theaters in some cities showed the event while offering free popcorn. Governing party workers have gone door to door handing out religious flags, while PM Modi encouraged people to celebrate by lighting lamps at homes and in local shrines. Government offices were closed for half a day on Monday, and many states declared it a public holiday. Even the stock and money markets were closed for the day.
(With inputs from agency)
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