'Devotion, faith, joy, fulfilment and more': Throngs of devotees in Ayodhya on consecration anniversary

Ayodhya: For some the feeling is of deep devotion, for others it's a sense of fulfilment of a wish, while some others are driven by sentiments of joy! Occasion is one but emotions are countless.

The first anniversary celebration of the consecration of Ram Lalla idol in the Ayodhya temple has brought to the city thousands of devotees from across the country.

The three-day celebrations began on Saturday with a recital of Yajurveda and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performing an 'abhishek' on the Ram Lalla idol.

Thousands of people have descended on the city from near and far, and are headed to the temple premises to witness cultural and religious events planned for the three days between January 11 and 13.

"Ayodhya is soaked completely in the essence and devotion of Lord Ram," Ram Temple head priest Satyendra Das told PTI.

"The heavy influx of devotees everyday at the Ram Temple shows people's immense faith in Lord Ram. This huge turnout at the Ram temple also means people from different walks of life are very happy about the consecration of Lord Ram Lalla idol. They are all celebrating the first anniversary with full enthusiasm. The atmosphere here is of complete happiness." For Ayodhya mayor Girish Pati Tripathi, it feels like the "fulfilment of a dream".

"The happiness is that of seeing our culture flowering and flourishing. The happiness is that of witnessing Ayodhya as a city of enthusiasm and joy. I feel privileged to be able to serve the people of this city," he told PTI.

He said the temple city is witnessing an average daily footfall of 1.5 lakh, and in these three days, the average daily footfall is likely to increase further.

Anil Mishra, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, told PTI, "It is the result of the hardwork of the nodal agencies that three storeys (of the temple) have been completed. The work on the temple's 'shikhar' is going on, and that too will be completed in around two months. This is definitely encouraging." The idol of Ram Lalla was consecrated in the temple on January 22, 2024. But the its anniversary is being celebrated over three days from Saturday (January 11( according to the traditional Hindu calendar 'tithi', Mishra said. The celebrations will go on for three days.

"The large number of devotees visiting the temple shows their devotion. Since the temple was constructed, more than 3 crore devotees visited for the darshan of Lord Ram Lalla," Mishra said "There is excitement in the atmosphere today." Rajat Singh, who lives near Tulsi Udyan in Ayodhya, is overwhelmed with joy.

"Every year, we celebrate the anniversaries of our friends, family members and relatives. This I feel is the anniversary of Lord Ram Lalla, who found a place in a grand and divine temple last year. This day is a special for me and my family members, as we happily remember the 'Pran Pratistha' day (of 2024)," Singh said.

"Every resident of Ayodhya is feeling happy and elated." Bharat Singh, who heads the Lucknow-based Mahapurush Smriti Sansthan, said, "This is definitely a historic day as the 'Pran Pratistha' of Lord Ram Lalla has completed one year. Lord Ram is the symbol of hope and faith for crores of devotees spread across the length and breadth of the world.

"People derive immense peace, satisfaction and strength by taking the name of 'Maryada Purushottam' Shri Ram. The coming generations will continue to do so." Scheduled from January 11 to 13, the celebrations also aim to include common people who were unable to attend the historic ceremony last year, alongside around 110 invited VIPs, according to the temple trust.

"The trust has decided to invite common people who could not attend the initial consecration ceremony last year. They will be allowed to join all three days of events at Angad Teela," Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had earlier said.

The trust said that invitation letters have been distributed to guests, including the 110 VIPs, many of whom missed the original pran pratishtha ceremony on January 22, 2024. "Those unable to attend last year will be included in this anniversary celebration," Rai had earlier said.

An idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, 2024, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir's construction to build the foundation of a "strong, capable and divine" India of the next 1,000 years.

As the inauguration of the temple marked the culmination of a decades-long campaign, mostly under the Hindutva banner, to reclaim a disputed religious site in Ayodhya, Modi said it was the advent of a new era.