PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya amid thunderous applause from people across the country watching the big occasion unfold on television.
The nation was glued to their TVs to watch the ground-breaking Bhoomi Pujan at the Ram Janambhoomi site in Ayodhya on Wednesday. Considering the coronavirus pandemic, only 175 guests (including 135 seers, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh (UP) governor Anandiben Patel and state chief minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath) attended the event.
PM Modi landed in Saket College helipad in Ayodhya at 11.30 am and had a special ring of protection comprising of local police personnel who have recovered from Covid-19. According to experts, the group of 150 recovered police personnel will have developed antibodies to the disease and would be unable to contract or spread the infection. Additional 400 police personnel, who had tested negative in the past 48 hours, were also part of the security detail.
Before the Bhoomi Pujan, PM Modi visited the 10th century Hanuman Garhi temple, where he was presented a headgear, silver mukut and a stole with the name of Lord Ram printed on it by Sri Gaddinsheen Premdas Maharaj, head priest of the temple.
Ahead of the ceremony, the PM also planted a Parijat sapling in the Ram Janambhoomi temple complex. According to mythology, the Parijat is believed to be Kalpa Taru (wish-granting tree), that emerged from Krishrasagara (cosmic ocean) during the Samudra Manthan in Satyug.
Wearing a golden kurta and dhoti, the PM performed the Bhoomi Pooja along with RSS chief and UP governor and CM. “The construction of the temple will not only add to Ayodhya’s grandeur, but also change the entire economy of the region,” said the PM. At around 12.30 pm, priests commenced the ceremony chanting Sanskrit shlokas as the dignitaries, all in masks, maintained social distancing.
To mark the ceremony, Modi laid down a silver brick. According to officials in Ayodhya, 40kg bricks made of pure silver were used for the ceremony. Moreover, soil was brought in from more than 1,500 places and holy water was collected from 2,000 rivers, said the officials.
According to UP’s potters, around 1.25 lakh diyas were also ordered for the ceremony. Patna’s Mahavir Mandir Trust said that it will distribute 1.25 lakh ‘Raghupati Laddoos’, made out of pure ghee. These were given to Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on the occasion.
PM returns to Ayodhya after 29 years
The foundation stone-laying ceremony marks the beginning of the construction of the Ram Temple after a lengthy legal battle. The PM returned to Ayodhya after 29 years. He last visited the holy site in 1992 when he was the convenor of Tiranga Yatra, a campaign led by Murli Manohar Joshi to scrap Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Today also marks a year since the government abrogated Article 370 that converted Jammu and Kashmir into union territories.
‘An auspicious day’
Calling it an “auspicious day”, CM Yogi hailed the achievements of PM Modi. “This marks the end of the struggle of decades,” he said.
Commencing his speech with ‘Jai Shree Ram’, PM Modi said, “I am grateful to history being made. Crores of Indians cannot believe that this day has come.”
“A grand temple will now be built for our Ram Lalla who had been staying in a tent. Today, Ram Janambhoomi breaks free of the cycle of breaking and getting built again- that had been going on for centuries,” he added.
