FIRST DAYS OF TEMPLE AT AYODHYA ‘EVOKE DAYS OF RAMA’
▶ Priest at Ram Mandir in north-east India says devotion of Hindus gives place of worship special significance
Tens of thousands of people gathered at the Ram Mandir in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya yesterday, a day after the Hindu temple was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The temple in Uttar Pradesh state stands on the site of a historic mosque that was demolished in 1992 by Hindu groups, sparking riots in which thousands of people were killed.
Crowds arrived from midnight yesterday to pay respect to Rama Lalla – the child form of Hindu deity Lord Rama – but were not allowed to enter the complex until morning.
Devotees with saffron flags and scarves chanted “Jai Shri Ram” or “Hail Rama”.
The temple is built on a site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama.
“I have grown up listening to stories about the Ram Mandir,” Navneet Saurabh, who travelled 680km from New Delhi, told The National.
“Having read it even in my curriculum, I am excited that finally I am able to witness this historic moment.
“Many people fought hard over it for decades and now our temple has been rebuilt at Ram Janambhoomi [birthplace]. It reclaims our faith in building Ram Rajya [the reign of Rama].”
Many faced the winter cold and slept on roads near the temple, as thousands of police stood guard. Several people were injured in a rush to enter the temple. Police used batons to control the crowd after security barriers were pulled down.
Hindus from across India have travelled to pray at the temple since last week.
“I cannot wait to pay darshan [obeisance] to Ram Lalla,” said Venkatesh Prasad, a software engineer from Bengaluru.
The temple priest, Acharya Satyendra Das, said the presence of so many devotees seemed to mirror the time of Lord Rama, who was a king-deity.
“So many devotees have come to Ayodhya now and Jai Shree Ram chants are echoing here,” said Mr Das. “It seems that we have gone back to Ayodhya during the times when Lord Rama lived here.”
A statue of Rama Lalla, weighing 200kg and about 2.5 metres tall, was installed last week in the main sanctum of the multimillion-dollar temple.
Mr Modi inaugurated the site in a ceremony that was attended by Indian celebrities and business leaders.
He presided over a consecration ceremony performed by Hindu priests, which lasted several hours and was broadcast live on state-run television and dozens of private channels.
The grand temple stands on the site of the 16th-century mosque Babri Masjid, which was torn down in December 1992 by supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Hindu groups. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people were killed in subsequent nationwide intercommunal violence.
Those responsible for razing Babri Masjid claimed the mosque was built after the demolition of a Hindu temple, a claim rejected by the Supreme Court.
Construction of the temple began in 2020, months after the court unanimously ruled that the disputed land be given to Hindus.
The judgment came after decades of litigation.
The court directed the federal government to set up a trust to build the Ram Mandir, while Muslims would be given land elsewhere for a mosque.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown an interest in the Ram Mandir, built on a site where a mosque stood