 "Ram Temple inauguration: This is India's time as new era dawns, says PM")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday gave a clarion call to move beyond the construction of the grand Ram temple and build the foundation of a “strong, capable and divine” India of the next 1,000 years. He was speaking at a landmark event after the pran pratishtha (consecration) of the new Ram Lalla idol at the Ayodhya temple.
Today marks a turning of the wheel of time — similar to the time when Lord Ram sat at Arichal Munai in Dhanushkodi preparing to cross the sea, an event that would lay the foundation of a thousand years of Ram Rajya — he said. “The present juncture will similarly build a prosperous India for the next thousand years.”
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister arrived at the venue dressed in cream-coloured dhoti kurta and proceeded to perform the rituals in the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple at 12.07 pm.
Accompanied by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Modi performed the pran pratishtha during the auspicious 84 seconds of ‘Abhijeet Muhurta’ at 12:29 pm. Later, two Indian Air Force helicopters showered flowers at the gathering and across the town of Ayodhya.
The PM began his address to a gathering of 8,000 special invitees from across the country — including some of India's most influential people — not with the cry of ‘Jai Sri Ram’, the leitmotif slogan of the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement, but a "pranam" and "Ram Ram". "For us, this occasion is not only about vijay (victory), but also about vinay (humility)," he said, giving the mantra of "Dev se desh, Ram se Rashtra".
Modi described the new temple as a symbol of national consciousness and expressed his gratitude to the country’s judiciary. The Supreme Court judges who had delivered the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, including Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, were in attendance.
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"Lord Ram is present in India's Constitution, in its first copy. Even after the adoption of the Constitution, legal battles over the existence of Lord Ram continued for decades. I express my gratitude to the judiciary, which upheld the dignity of justice," he said, stressing the maturity of Indian society in resolving the dispute harmoniously when the examples of countries attempting to unknot complete problems had made the situation more challenging. "It indicates that our future will be much more beautiful than our past," he said.
As for those in the Opposition who had stayed away from the ceremony, the PM appealed to them to rethink their perspective. He said India had shown maturity in peacefully untying a historical knot and proving wrong the predictions that the temple construction would ignite fires. "Such people failed to understand the purity of India's social sentiment... Ram is not a dispute but the solution. He is for everyone. He symbolises eternal human values, which the world needs. Ram is the faith and foundation of India. He is its consciousness and contemplation, its prestige and might. Ram is the norm, and Ram is the policy," he said.
Modi appealed to people, especially the youth, to contribute to the rise of a magnificent India. "This is India's time, and India is now moving forward," he said.
"Generations a thousand years from now will remember our nation-building efforts of today. We have to lay the foundation for India of the next thousand years, starting from this sacred time," he said.
Among those in attendance were top industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Sunil Bharti Mittal, besides dozens of film personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth, and sportspersons like Sachin Tendulkar and Saina Nehwal. Bollywood playback singers Sonu Nigam and Shankar Mahadevan also sang bhajans at the ceremony. After his speech, the PM visited each enclosure and greeted the invitees.
With several North Indian states declaring the day a full or partial public holiday, cities and towns were deserted in the afternoon. Millions of people watched the live telecast of the ceremony. "Kirtan and sankirtan are being performed in every village. Festivals are being celebrated in temples. And cleanliness campaigns are being conducted. The entire country is celebrating Diwali today. This evening, preparations are being made to light Ramjyoti in every home," Modi said.
“January 22, 2024, is not just a date on the calendar but marks the beginning of a new era. It has ended 500 years of struggle: Ram Lalla will no longer live in a tent but reside in this divine temple,” he said.
After returning to Delhi later in the day, the PM announced the launch of his government's Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana — inspired by Suryavanshi Lord Ram — to equip 10 million households with rooftop solar panels, reduce the energy bills for the poor and middle-class, and aid India’s energy self-sufficiency.
RSS chief Bhagwat said the temple's consecration had erased the curse of 500 years and marked the emergence of a new India, which would be a guiding light for the world. Instead of engaging in conflicts, people should contribute to national development with their good conduct, he said.
Adityanath said the temple had been constructed precisely where it had been resolved to be built and spoke of the rapid pace of development in Ayodhya.