PRAN PRATISHTHA’ DONE, 500-YEAR-OLD DREAM REALIZED

CELEBRITIES GATHER IN AYODHYA

To honor this historic event, Geeta Press has uploaded the entire Ramcharitamanas on its website for free downloads for the next 15 days to help Shri Ram devotees. It’s available in 10 Indian languages on gitapress.org

A galaxy of VIP guests from different walks of life also arrived at the venue, much in advance, to witness the historic event.

Amitabh Bachchan, his son Abhishek Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jackie Shroff, Madhuri Dixit, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Anupam Kher, Rajnikant, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatesh Prasad, Sonu Nigam, Kangana Ranaut were among the VIP guests who arrived to witness the ceremony.

Industrialist Anil Ambani, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, poet Kumar Vishwas were also seen at the venue. Helicopters showered petals on the guests to accord them a floral welcome.

SONU NIGAM, ANURADHA PAUDWAL AND, SHANKAR MAHADEVAN SING VERSES FROM RAMCHARITMANAS AT PRAN PRATISHTHA CEREMONY

Well known singer Sonu Nigam sang verses from the Ramcharitmanas ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

He won an applause for his rendition of ‘Raghukul reet sada chali aayi” and the saints, in particular, were seen clapping to the rhythm.

Sonu set the spiritual mood for the event and ended his performance with Jai Shri Ram.

Anuradha Paudwal and Shankar Mahadevan also regaled the audience with their devotional renditions.

WHY IS THE RAM LALLA IDOL AT AYODHYA BLACK IN COLOR?

A long and patient wait for a Ram Temple at Lord Rama’s Janmabhoomi has finally come to an end on January 22, with a grand consecration ceremony. While images of the Ram idol that was installed at the temple were released earlier - both with eyes covered and uncovered, but devotees could see the actual idol on the day of the ceremony. The 51-inch tall Ram idol is made from black stone and depicts the deity as a five-year-old child in a standing posture. But, many might wonder: Why is the Ram idol black in color?

The idol of Ram lalla, carved by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj, is made of black stone.

The black stone, known as Krishna Shila, was extracted from Gujjegowdanapura in Jayapura hobli in the Mysuru district.

This Krishna Shila stone was chosen because it does not react to anything like acid. This means that when milk is poured on the idol, the stone will not react or corrode over time.

Krishna Shila is bluish-grey and when you apply coconut and burnt cocoa powder, it turns black. Over the years, it hardens and does not react to anything. There are 5,000-year-old temples where idols have been made using Krishna Shila stones and have till now not reacted to any weather conditions.

‘RAM AA GAYE’, SAYS PM MODI AFTER CEREMONY

On the day of the ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that after years of struggle, “Ram Lalla (child Lord Ram) is here”.

Addressing a gathering of thousands of people in Ayodhya, following the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ rituals at Ram temple, he said that he is still “shaking” from the spiritual experience of the inauguration of Ram temple, which happened four years after the landmark judgment by the Supreme Court.

The Prime Minister said that Ram is “not a dispute” but “a solution”.

“I have firm belief and immense faith that today, the devotees of Ram are completely absorbed in this historic moment. The devotees of Ram, in every corner of the country and the world, are deeply feeling this. This moment is divine, this moment is the holiest of all,” he stated.

PM Modi also praised the Indian judiciary, saying that they ensured justice, referring to the landmark judgment in the Ram Mandir- Babri Masjid dispute.

“The legal battle over the existence of Lord Ram went on for decades. I would like to express my gratitude to the judiciary of India for doing justice,” he said at the event.

He added that Lord Ram is the “spirit of Indian Constitution”.

Lauding the historic moment of the temple inauguration, the Prime Minister said that Indians have tackled a “complicated past” but the future looks bright from now on.

He said that he is overjoyed that Lord Ram will no longer reside in a tent.

“Today our Ram has arrived after generations of waiting. On this auspicious occasion, congratulations to everyone. There is so much to tell, but there is a lump in my throat,” he said.

He further said, “January 22, 2024 is not merely a date but marks the advent of a new era. The legal battle over the existence of Lord Ram went on for decades. Ram is mentioned in the first verse in our Constitution, yet it took so many decades for this to happen. That Constitution finally holds true to its mention.”

“Today, I also apologize to Lord Shri Ram. There must be something lacking in our effort, sacrifice and penance that we could not do this work for so many centuries. Today the work has been completed. I believe that Lord Shri Ram will definitely forgive us today,” he said.

The Prime Minister said, “I got the opportunity to travel from Sagar to Saryu. From Sagar to Saryu, the same festive spirit of Ram’s name is visible everywhere. Ram is not fire, Ram is energy. Ram is not a dispute, Ram is the solution. Ram is not just ours, Ram is everyone’s. Ram is not current, Ram is eternal.”

He termed the Ram Mandir opening as a “humbling moment”. He urged all to light a Ram Jyoti at home. He also took a dig at those who questioned India’s social fabric.

The Prime Minister noted that he heard many verses from the epic Ramayana while reaching the temple for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

After the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath presented a model of the Ram temple, made in silver, to Prime Minister and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.