PM Modi and the other dignitaries, all in masks, maintained social distancing and sat a safe distance away from each other. (Photo: PTI)
The decades-long wait to see a permanent home for Lord Ram built in Ayodhya, the perceived birthplace of the deity ended on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Ram temple on the site in a grand ceremony.
Not only was the bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya a reason to celebrate for many in the nation but also signalled the fulfilment of a long-held goal of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“The wait of centuries has ended and India is creating a golden chapter in Ayodhya,” PM Modi said after performing the bhoomi pujan.
Here is all you need to know about the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan that took place in Ayodhya today:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the ‘bhoomi pujan’ of a Supreme Court-mandated Ram temple in Ayodhya, bringing to fruition the BJP’s ‘mandir’ movement that defined its politics for three decades and took it to the heights of power.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who attended the event at the site where a large number of devout Hindus believe Lord Ram was born. The guest list, including religious leaders who formed part of the movement that started in the 1980s, was restricted to 175 in view of the Covid-19 crisis.
As priests chanted Sanskrit ‘shlokas’ and the ground-breaking ceremony got underway under a giant marquee decorated in shades of reds and yellows, Modi and the other dignitaries, all in masks, maintained social distancing and sat a safe distance away from each other. Slogans of ‘Bharat Mataki Jai’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ went up as the ritual ended and the prime minister laid the foundation of the temple.
Bhajans and ‘shlokas’ were heard as the town, festooned with marigold flowers and yellow and saffron flags, celebrated the beginning of the construction of a grand Ram temple. Roads leading to Ayodhya were adorned with hoardings of the proposed temple and of Ram Lalla, the infant Ram, the deity now housed in a makeshift temple. Most shops were painted in bright yellow.
The prime minister arrived in Ayodhya in a helicopter where Adityanath among others received him.
Before the function to lay the foundation stone of the ‘Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir’, the prime minister took part in prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple. From there, he travelled to the ‘Shree Ram Janmabhoomi’ where he performed prayers at the ‘Bhagwan Shree Ramlala Virajman’.
The prime minister also unveiled a plaque and released a commemorative postal stamp.
Later, the Prime Minister addressed the gathering after the bhoomi pujan. Beginning his speech with “Jai Siya Ram”, the prime minister told the gathering that a grand temple will be built for “Ram Lalla”.
Sending out the message that “Ram is everywhere, Ram belongs to all”, PM Modi said the temple symbolises India’s rich heritage and will be an inspiration for all of humanity. He listed the Ramayanas popular in countries such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
In his address, PM Modi Modi also made a veiled reference to claim that the Babri Masjid was built after destroying a temple. He said, “See the magical power of Lord Ram. Buildings were destroyed. Attempts were made to destroy its existence. But Ram lives in everyone’s heart. He is the foundation of our culture.”
On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court settled the fractious issue going back more than a century and backed the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site. It also ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town
Delivering a unanimous judgement on a case that had long polarised the country, the court said the faith of the Hindus that Lord Ram was born at the site was undisputed
The Ram Janmabhoomi movement got a fillip in 1990 with then BJP president L K Advani’s ‘rath yatra’. Two years later, in December 1992, the 16th-century Mughal-era Babri Masjid, built on what a large section believes is Lord Ram’s birthplace, was demolished.