‘Raja Ram’ idol consecrated, Ayodhya temple nears completion

The idol of Raja Ram was consecrated and the Ram Darbar inaugurated at the Ram Jamnabhoomi complex on Thursday, a major step towards the completion of a grand temple that has been at the intersection of political and religious discourse for three decades.

The city was festooned and lit up as priests gathered at the first floor of the temple to install the five-foot white marbled statue of Raja Ram, in deity’s royal avatar, amid the chanting of hymns and elaborate rituals.

The Ram Darbar also features the idols of Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughn and Hanuman. The day, chosen to coincide with the occasion of Ganga Dasehra, comes 16 months after the consecration of Ram Lalla, in his child form, on January 22 last year.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the top government brass and a host of celebrities were present at the high-octane occasion then, the event this time was quieter.

Among those at the ceremony were Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also the head priest of the Gorakhnath Mutt in Gorakhpur, along with other priests. Devotees stood outside the temple complex, singing, dancing and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ all the while.

The BJP, which is in power at the Centre and in state, said in a post on X: “The second festival of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha concluded today in Ayodhya. A step towards Ram Rajya.” The ceremony took place during the Abhijit Muhurat, considered one of the most auspicious moments in the Hindu calendar.

Ram Temple trustee Anil Mishra said the ceremonies were performed in accordance with Vedic traditions. “The day of Ganga Dussehra will symbolise a new beginning. It will be the moment when the fruits of centuries of penance, struggle, and faith will manifest in tangible form,” he said.

Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at the Ram Temple and visited the Hanumangarhi temple nearby.

In a post on X, he said: “This auspicious occasion is a new expression of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’… Fortunate to witness the Pran Pratishtha of the holy idols of gods in eight temples, including Shri Ram Darbar on the first floor of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.”