New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted devotees on the first anniversary of the ‘Pran Prathistha’ (consecration) of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya temple. The ceremony started on Saturday with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performing an 'Abhishek' ceremony. The three-day celebrations, marking the ‘Pratistha Dwadashi’ of the Ram Mandir, began with Ram Lalla being adorned in a specially crafted ‘Pitambari’ outfit woven with gold and silver threads.
In a post on X, Modi lauded the temple as a great heritage of Indian culture and spirituality, emphasising that its construction was the result of centuries of sacrifices, struggle, and devotion. “I am confident that this divine and grand Ram temple will be a big inspiration in realising the pledge of building a developed India,” he stated.
The original consecration ceremony took place on January 22 last year, coinciding with the auspicious ‘Paush Shukla Dwadashi’. This year’s celebrations commenced on a similarly auspicious day as per the Hindu calendar (Panchang).
In Ayodhya, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the nearby Hanumangarhi Temple to offer prayers and received blessings from Nritya Gopal Das Ji Maharaj, President of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust. Addressing a crowd on the Janmabhoomi Path, Adityanath described the Ramjanmabhoomi movement as “one of the most significant struggles in history, lasting for over 500 years.” He urged unity among people, stating, “If we remain divided based on caste, region, language, then religious places will be the first to suffer the consequences... We all should remain united... PM Modi had also said a year ago that Lord Ram is the symbol of the nation. 'Ram hain toh rashtra hain, rashtra hain toh Ram hain….’”
The three-day festivities will feature a variety of religious and cultural programmes within the Ram Temple complex, beginning with the recitation of the Yajurveda. To accommodate the large number of devotees, a German hangar tent has been erected at the Angad Teela site, capable of hosting up to 5,000 people. The event will showcase classical cultural performances, rituals, daily Ram Katha discourses at the pavilion, and activities at the 'Yagnashala'.
Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, announced, “The trust has decided to invite common people who could not attend the consecration ceremony last year. They will be allowed to join all three days of events at the Angad Teela.”
As devotees from across the region gather to commemorate this auspicious occasion, the celebrations aim to reinforce the cultural and spiritual legacy of the Ram Mandir, fostering a sense of unity and devotion among the attendees.