 "The proposed model of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya")
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Wednesday said the 'bhoomi pujan' for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is a "golden occasion" that has come after years of struggle, fulfilling dreams of thousands who sacrificed their lives for the construction of the temple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday performed the 'bhoomi pujan' of a Supreme Court-mandated Ram temple in Ayodhya, bringing to fruition the BJP's 'mandir' movement that defined its politics for three decades and took it to the heights of power.
After watching live telecast of the event, Rawat said, "The golden occasion has arrived after years of struggle. Thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Their dream is being fulfilled with the ground breaking ceremony of the temple."
It will bring peace to the soul of thousands of people who sacrificed their lives for it, he said.
Reminiscing about the movement in the 1980s, he said Rs 1.25 was collected as donation from every person and that people in Uttarakhand did not mind walking for miles uphill to bring stones to be used in the construction of the temple.
"It was indeed a big moment for them," Rawat said.
Rawat said he was in Meerut when the BJP's 'mandir' movement was at its peak in 1989 and he had taken part in it in disguise along with thousands of people.
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He especially remembered the contributions of RSS Pracharak Moropant Ji Pingle, Ashok Singhal, Mahant Avaidyanath and the Kothari brothers.
Rawat said he has spoken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and will soon visit Ayodhya for a darshan of Lord Ram.
Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya also watched the live telecast of the programme and congratulated the prime minister describing it as the fulfilment of a big commitment.
"All believers of the Hindu religion had dreamt of this day when the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be on its the way to becoming a reality," she said.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
