Ayodhya , Aug 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation of the Ram temple. He participated in the bhoomi poojan rituals at the temple site and offered prayers.
From Varanasi to Tamil Nadu, many devotees have sent gifts for the ceremony, like silver bricks and coins.
Special prayers were started on Monday and will culminate with the PM laying the foundation stone for the temple. The city has been decorated with paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana. The Uttar Pradesh government has also made elaborate security arrangement for the event.
Apart from the state police, the NSG commandos have also been kept on stand-by. The invitations for the ceremony have been kept limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While addressing the foundation laying ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said people struggled for 500 years for the temple and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilment of dream to build temple in Ayodhya.
“Congratulations to all on the inauguration of the construction of Ram-Mandir! The temple of Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Ram is being constructed in accordance with the process of justice and with the enthusiasm of the public and with the support of social harmony. The temple complex, I believe, will become a symbol of modern India based on the ideals of Ramrajya,” President Kovind said in a tweet.
The rituals of bhoomi poojan concluded at the Ram temple site. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the rituals.
During the bhoomi poojan rituals, one of the priests told the people about nine bricks at the spot that were sent by devotees of Lord Ram from around the world in 1989.
“There are 2 lakh 75 thousand such bricks out of which 100 bricks with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ engraving have been taken,” the priest was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
At Ram Janmabhoomi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered dandavat pranam at pre-fabricated makeshift Ram Mandir and performed arti of Ram Lalla.
He then planted a sapling of Parijat tree and reached bhumi pujan venue, sanctum- sanctorum of the proposed Ram Mandir.
(With Agency inputs)
