JOIN USPM Modi inspects Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya, participates in Deepotsav
Almost two years after he laid its foundation stone, prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inspected the Ram Temple construction work at Ayodhya and took part in the Deepotsav celebration in the temple town.
Modi also performed puja and 'aarti' at the makeshift Ram Temple before visiting the construction site of the Temple where he was briefed about the ongoing construction work by the office bearers of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Khestra Trust, which was overseeing the construction work. This is Modi's first visit to Ayodhya after a "bhoomi pujan" for the construction of a Ram temple on August 5, 2020.
The prime minister also donned the role of Vashishth Muni, who was Lord Rama's guru, and applied the first 'tilak' on the latter's forehead in a symbolic coronation of Rama upon his arrival in Ayodhya after completing his 14-year exile in the forests during which he killed Ravana.
Modi will witness a 3-D holographic projection mapping show at Ram ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu, along with a grand musical laser show, the Prime Minister's Office said.
Ayodhya, according to Hindu mythology, celebrated the return of Lord Rama by lighting earthen lamps, which is said to have been the beginning of the festival of Diwali.
As many as 15 lakh earthen lamps would be lighted in the temple town on this occasion. The officials in Ayodhya said that 22,000 volunteers would be doing the job at Ram ki Paidi near the Saryu bank, which would make its way into the Guinness Book of World Record.
Five animated tableaux and 11 Ramlila tableaux showcasing dance forms from different states will also be presented during the Deepotsav.
Modi's visit to Ayodhya to take part in Diwali celebrations assumes significance in the wake of assertions by the office bearers of the Trust the idols of Ram Lalla would be installed at the sanctum sanctorum at the Ram Temple on January 24, 2024. "The entire complex of the Temple will be completed by the end of 2025 but the Temple will be opened for the public in January 2024," a Trust office bearer had said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) as well as the BJP wanted the Ram Temple to be completed before the 2024 general elections. Prime minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the Ram Temple in August 2020.
The timing of possible opening of the Ram Temple for the devotees assumes significance as the next general elections are scheduled to be held in May 2024 in which the Modi government will be seeking a third term in office.