“This worship of Ram should transcend the ego and be for us as a community. The offerings made to the Lord will also be the reward for our dedication towards the development of a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” said Narendra Modi
“I would like to say to the youth of my country – in front of you lies the inspiration of thousands of years of tradition. You represent that generation of Bharat… which is hoisting the Tricolour on the moon,” said Narendra Modi.
Embracing the sacredness of tradition and the endless possibilities of modernity, Bharat will reach the goals of prosperity by walking on both these paths, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Ayodhya, NFAPost: After the ‘Pran Prathishta’ ceremony of installing Ram Lalla idol under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ayodhya Ram temple opened its doors for public fulfilling decade long ambitions of millions of Indians. The momentous occasion was celebrated with religious fervour and unity across the country.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Ram’s kingdom was established for thousands of years, i.e., Ram Rajya was established for thousands of years.
When Ram came in the Treta Yuga, the establishment of Ram Rajya took place for thousands of years. For thousands of years, Ram continued to guide the world and the sacred land of Ayodhya is posing a question to all of us, every devotee of Lord Ram, and every Indian.
“From today, from this sacred moment, we must lay the foundation for the next thousand years of Bharat. Beyond the temple construction, we, as a nation, must pledge to build a capable and glorious Bharat from this very moment. Ram’s thoughts should be in the mind as well as in the mind of the people, this is the step towards nation building,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the wait of centuries has come to an end. “On this occasion, the divine spirits present to bless us are witnessing us; how will we bid them farewell? No, certainly not. Today I feel with a virtuous heart that the wheel of time is turning. It is a happy coincidence that our generation has been chosen as the architect of a timeless path. The generations after a thousand years will remember our nation-building efforts today. Therefore, I say – this is the time, the right time,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reminding the demand of the present era is that citizens need to expand their consciousness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Indians awareness should expand from the divine to the nation, from Ram to the entire nation.
“The devotion of Hanuman, the service of Hanuman, the dedication of Hanuman—these are qualities that we should not seek outside. The emotions of devotion, service, and dedication in every Indian will form the foundation of a capable and glorious Bharat. And this is the expansion of consciousness—from the divine to the nation and from Ram to the entire nation,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the faith, the emotions of devotion, service, and dedication in every Indian will form the foundation of a capable, glorious, and divine Bharat. And this is the expansion of consciousness—from the divine to the nation and from Ram to the entire nation!
“We all know that the friendship of Nishadraj goes beyond all bounds. The attraction of Nishadraj towards Ram, and Lord Ram’s sense of belonging for Nishadraj, how fundamental it is! Everyone is our own, everyone is equal. The feelings of belongingness and brotherhood in every Indian will form the foundation of a capable, glorious, and divine Bharat. And this is the expansion of consciousness—from the divine to the nation and from Ram to the entire nation,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Highlighting the worship of Lord Shri Ram should be special for all Indians, he said this worship should rise above the self and be for the collective.
“This worship of Ram should transcend the ego and be for us as a community. The offerings made to the Lord will also be the reward for our dedication towards the development of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. We need to present Lord Ram with the offerings of consistent valour, effort, and dedication. By consistently worshipping Lord Ram in this manner, we will be able to make Bharat prosperous and developed,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Talking about‘Amrit Kaal’ of Bharat’s development, he said the country is filled with the reservoir of youth power, brimming with energy.
“Positive circumstances like these will arise after who knows how long. We must not miss this opportunity; we must not sit idle. I would like to say to the youth of my country – in front of you lies the inspiration of thousands of years of tradition. You represent that generation of Bharat… which is hoisting the Tricolour on the moon, which is making Mission Aditya successful by travelling 15 lakh kilometers, going near the sun, which is waving the flag of Tejas in the sky… and the banner of Vikrant in the ocean,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also exhorted the youth to be proud of thier heritage and write about the new dawn of Bharat. “Embracing the sacredness of tradition and the endless possibilities of modernity, Bharat will reach the goals of prosperity by walking on both these paths,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also pointed out that the time to come is now the time of success and the upcoming time is now the time of accomplishment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this magnificent Ram Temple will bear witness to the rise of Bharat, the dawn of Bharat.
“This grand Ram Temple will bear witness to the prosperity of Bharat, the development of Bharat! This temple teaches us that if the goal is validated by truth, if the goal is born out of collectivity and organized strength, then achieving that goal is not impossible,” said Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister of India reiterated that this is Bharat’s time, and Bharat is now going to move forward. After centuries of anticipation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country has reached here and all have waited for this era, this period.
“Now, we will not stop. We will continue to rise to the heights of development. With this spirit, bowing down at the feet of Ram Lalla, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you. My humble respects to all the saints,” said Narendra Modi.
Mohan Bhagwat, head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), along with saints from across the country participated at the rituals as part of the ceremony.
The temple has been constructed at a cost of $217 million, funded from private donations. Only the ground floor was opened – the rest is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The construction work is part of a revamp for the city, estimated to cost more than $3 billion.
There was a festive atmosphere as tens of thousands of chanting Hindu devotees waved flags and beat drums – military helicopters showered flower petals on the temple. Saffron flags with pictures of Lord Ram line streets in the city festooned with marigolds, as do banners with the faces of Mr Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Besides the presence of citizens from Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia etc, the event was also witnessed by some of India’s biggest celebrities, including Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
Across various states in the country the event was celebrated with much enthusiasm and religious fervour. Besides Chief Ministers participation, elected representatives also joined in the celebration.
Opposition parties led by Congress stayed away from the celebration accusing the government of exploiting a religious celebration in a country where the constitution says it is a secular state. The opposition parties alleged that Modi is using Ayodhya Temple opening as a run up to the 2024 general election campaign.
Hindus celebrated the inauguration in other countries too. Massive billboards of Lord Ram graced Times Square in New York, where a group of devotees braved the freezing weather to gather in the middle of the night.
Temples all across the United Kingdom – where Indians are one of the largest diaspora groups – marked the event. Colourful posters had been shared inviting devotees to honour the occasion and celebrations involved flowers, sweets and music.
There were also some celebrations in Muslim-majority Dubai – where Indians are a significant population – but from Indian news reports these appeared more muted than elsewhere.
