PM Modi says Ram Mandir will herald rise of a magnificent India
Ayodhya, Jan 22: With chants of “Jai Shri Ram”, posters, saffron flags, diyas, and firecrackers, the entire nation celebrated the consecration of the historic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Monday with a fervour reminiscent of Diwali.
While many celebrated “Deepotsav” at home, including union ministers, politicians and commoners, some people also went outside to light firecrackers and set off special lights.
Along with thousands of other dignitaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath attended the consecration ceremony on Monday.
Hymns and songs about Lord Ram reverberated in temples, special prayers were held, processions taken out, rangolis made and bhandara events were held as the country soaked in religious fervour on the occasion of the consecration ceremony.
The Prime Minister said the consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol in Ayodhya marks the advent of a new era and gave a call to people to go beyond the Ram temple’s construction to build the foundation of a strong, grand and divine India of the next 1,000 years.
After participating in the idol’s “Pran Pratishtha”, Modi in his speech also turned to critics of the Ram Mandir movement and asked them to reconsider their view that its construction would “set off a fire” in the country, asserting that Ram is “not fire but energy”, “not dispute but solution”.
“Ram is not fire but energy, Ram is not dispute but solution, Ram is not merely ours but of everyone and Ram is not only the present but also eternal,” he said, adding that the temple is also a symbol of peace, patience, harmony and amity in Indian society.
He said that the momentous occasion is not merely about triumph but also humility and underscores Indian society’s maturity in resolving historical disputes.
“Our Ram Lalla will no longer live in a tent. Our Ram Lalla will stay in a magnificent temple,” Modi said in his 36-minute speech.
He urged everyone to do their bit in building a strong, capable, grand and divine India, saying they should not miss out at a time when the country is passing through a positive and constructive period.
There is not an iota of space for any despondency, he said.
With the temple being built and divine powers “witnessing” the occasion, he asked people to take a pledge in the current time of immense “positive energy” to build a strong and capable India of the next 1000 years after the temple has been built.
“Ayodhya is asking us all, every devotee of Ram, every Indian as to the next course of action as the grand temple of Shri Ram has been built. What next? We have to from today, from this sacred moment lay the foundation of India of the next 1,000 years. Going beyond the temple’s construction, we all Indians take a pledge to build a strong, capable, grand and divine India,” he said.
The Ram temple, the prime minister said, will be a witness to India’s rise and dawn of a developed and magnificent India. January 22, 2024, is not merely a date but marks the advent of a new era, he added.
He also thanked the Supreme Court for doing justice and paving the way for the temple’s construction at the once-disputed site by law.
Most opposition leaders invited to the event skipped the ceremony, accusing his government of making it a political exercise with an eye on the coming Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)