Prime Minister Narendra Modi today showered flower petals on the workers who were involved in the construction of the Ayodhya temple after the ‘pran pratishtha’ or consecration of the Ram Lalla idol was completed.
The Prime Minister also sprinkled flowers on the idol of Jatayu at the Ram Temple premises and also offered prayers to Lord Shiva in Ayodhya Dham.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited the Kuber Tila on the Ram temple premises in Ayodhya and offered worship to Lord Shiva there.
He performed ‘jalabhishek’ (offering water on the ‘Shiva linga’) and also did a ‘parikrama’ (circumambulation) of the temple.
The ancient Shiv temple located on the Kuber Tila in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex is also being renovated by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is constructing the Ram temple.
The Prime Minister, dressed in a cream kurta pajama, was seen taking out the petals from a wicker basket and showering it on the team behind the construction of the temple.
PM Modi led the rituals at the grand temple that was watched by politicians, businessmen, sports and media stars watched along with lakhs of people nationwide.
“This is a moment of celebration as well as the moment of a reflection of Indian society’s maturity It is an occasion of not merely triumph but humility too. The history of the world is itself proof that many countries get strangled in their own history and such countries faced difficulties when they tried to solve their problems…but the way, our country untied the knots of history, is the proof that our future is going to be more beautiful than our past,” he said.
“Our Ram has come,” PM Modi said in his address after the ceremony, which also marks the inauguration of the temple.
The PM said that the construction of the temple which was supposed to ‘set off a firestorm’ is a symbol of peace, patience, harmony and integration of the country.
“There was also a time when some people used to say ‘Ram Mandir bana toh aag lag jaegi’ (the construction of the temple will set of a firestorm). Such people could not understand the purity of India’s social spirit. The construction of this temple of Ram Lalla is also a symbol of peace, patience, mutual harmony and coordination of the Indian society. We are seeing that this construction is not giving birth to any fire, but to energy” he added.
The PM also said that Ayodhya’s temple is a temple of national consciousness in the form of Ram.
“Today in Ayodhya, not only has the Pran Pratishtha of the idol of Ram Lalla taken place, this is also the lifeblood of unwavering faith in Indian culture as manifested in the form of Shri Ram. It is also the embodiment of human values and highest ideals. This temple is not just a temple of god,” he said.
The PM also called the temple- a temple of India’s vision, philosophy, and direction.
He further said that the moment after the Pran Pratishtha is ‘divine and holiest of all’.
“I have firm belief and immense faith that today, the devotees of Prabhu Ram are completely absorbed in this historic moment… the devotees of Prabhu Ram, in every corner of the country and the world, are deeply feeling this…This moment is divine, this moment is the holiest of all,” PM said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said that People of every era have experienced Lord Ram.
“Over the last 11 days, I have had this opportunity to listen to Ramayana in different languages and in different states. Defining Lord Ram, saints have said that Lord Ram resides in everyone. People of every era have experienced Lord Ram. People of every era have expressed Lord Ram in their languages,” he added.
The prime minister later unveiled a statue of ‘Jatayu’ on the premises of the Ayodhya Ram temple.
It is expected to open Tuesday to the public.
He chanted religious verses before placing flower petals at the feet of the deity, then bowed before it and circled a sacred flame, while outside, a military helicopter showered petals on the temple.
At the end of the rituals, the PM prostrated himself before the idol, which depicts the child Ram.
Traditional clarinets played devotional music during the rituals for the 51-inch tall, black stone deity that represents the god-king as a five-year-old child.
The event has ignited religious fervour across India, with many states declaring a holiday on Monday, stock markets shut and homes and businesses illuminated after PM Modi called for it to be marked as another Diwali.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its east-west length is 380 feet, width 250 feet and height 161 feet. It is supported by 392 pillars and has 44 doors.
The pillars and walls of the temple showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities.
