Modi hoists saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop Ayodhya Ram temple
AYODHYA (UP), Nov 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hoisted the saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop the Ram temple in Ayodhya, marking its formal completion, and said the “wounds and pain of centuries” were healing as a 500-year-old resolve had finally been fulfilled.
The prime minister, who performed the flag hoisting in the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also used the occasion to outline the roadmap for a developed India by 2047 and said the country must break free from the British-era legacy of “slave mentality”.
Modi’s historic fifth visit to Ayodhya as the prime minister was marked by a road show to the temple during which a large number of people stood along the route to welcome him with showers of flower petals as ‘Ram Dhun’ wafted from public speaker systems.
The event, which took place during the auspicious ‘abhijeet muhurt’ and coincided with Vivah Panchami (the festival that celebrates Lord Ram’s wedding), transformed Ayodhya into a vast but highly secured cultural arena, with hundreds of artistes from across the state presenting folk, classical and devotional performances.
Calling the moment “unique” and “divine”, the prime minister said the sacred flag—adorned with the Sun symbol, ‘Om’ and the Kovidara tree—would stand as a testimony to the triumph of truth over falsehood. “Today, the entire nation and the world are immersed in Ram. Centuries-old wounds are healing, centuries-long pain is finding closure, as the resolve that burned for 500 years finally reached fulfilment,” said Modi, who had laid the foundation stone for the complex on August 5, 2020, in the presence of Bhagwat.
The third-term PM urged citizens to “awaken the Ram within” as India works towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. “Ram is not a person but a value, a discipline and a direction,” he said, adding that India must “break free from the mentality of slavery” and take pride in its civilisational identity.
“Macaulay sowed the seeds of separating India from its roots 190 years ago. We gained Independence but not freedom from inferiority,” he said while referring to the British historian, and added that the next 10 years should be dedicated to reversing this mindset.
Modi also said that colonial-era distortions led to the belief that India borrowed democracy from abroad. “India is the mother of democracy. It is in our DNA,” he said, citing a thousand-year-old inscription in Tamil Nadu that documents democratic practices.
He said Ayodhya was emerging as a model blend of antiquity and modernity. “The Ayodhya of the Treta Yuga gave humanity its moral code. The Ayodhya of the 21st century is giving the world a new model of development,” he said, noting improvements in connectivity and the economic transformation spurred by nearly 45 crore devotees visiting since the consecration on January 22, 2024.
RSS chief Bhagwat said those who sacrificed their lives for the Ram temple “must be at peace today”.
“Today is a day of great significance for all of us,” he said. Naming several leaders like former VHP chief Ashok Singhal and seers who laboured for decades, he added, “Those who could not witness this moment also longed for this. It is a historic and deeply fulfilling moment.” Explaining the symbolism of the saffron flag, Bhagwat said it represents dharma and the values needed to guide the world.
“Trees stand in the sun and provide shade and fruit to others. Similarly, our lives too must be rooted in righteousness,” he said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the ceremony “the beginning of a new era” and said the temple embodied the “faith, honour and self-pride” of 140 crore Indians.
“The flag atop the Ram temple symbolises truth, justice, dignity and national dharma,” he said, adding that the movement’s long struggle –carried forward by generations — had been anchored in unwavering faith.
Ayodhya, once neglected, has now become a “global spiritual capital”, he said. (PTI)
