NEW DELHI: Almost 3 decades ,or 32 years after pledging to back Ayodhya only upon completion of the Ram temple, PM Narendra Modi is set to visit the holy town once again to preside over the consecration ceremony.
It was on January 14, 1992, when Modi, during his visit to Ayodhya, pledging to come back only after the temple dedicated to Lord Ram was finished
Modi was part of the ‘Rath yatra’
On that day, he exclaimed of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and worshipped Lord Ram, who was then housed in a makeshift tent.
The replay of this historic occasion on social media has garnered significant attention, with the post noting how the integration of Kashmir with India was a post-independence attempt by Jana Sangh and BJP, ultimately in succeeding under Modi’s leadership.
The first step in completing his pledge was the laying of the foundation stone. Modi laid the foundation stone for an impressive temple on August 5, 2020, at the site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.
The PM had laid the foundation stone after the final judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on November 9, 2019, ordering that the disputed land (2.7 acres) be handed over to the trust formed by the government.
Vedic rituals for the ‘pran pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla will start on January 16, a week ahead of the main ceremony on January 22.
Ahead of performing the ‘pran pratishtha’, Modi has started a 11-day fast, which includes ‘yam niyam’, based on principles of moral and ethical conduct, involving regular prayers and yoga.
“This is a huge responsibility. As it is also said in our scriptures, we have to awaken divine consciousness in ourselves for the yagya and worship of god. For this, fasts and strict rules have been prescribed in the scriptures, which have to be followed before consecration,” Modi had said, announcing his decision of 11 days of rituals, which he started from Panchavati in Nashik, where Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman had spent considerable time.
