A day after the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple was completed, jubilant devotees in high numbers thronged the Ram Janmbhommi to pay obeisance to the Lord Ram Lalla. The gates of the Ram Mandir opened for the first time for the public on Tuesday morning, seeing the massive rush of an enthusiastic crowd, Chief Priest Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Acharya Satyendra Das stated that the temple town of Ayodhya had gone back to the time of “Treta Yug”, a time when Lord Ram used to live.
Chants of “Jai Shree Ram” filled the atmosphere of Ayodhya while the devotees thronging the Ram Temple gathered near the temple complex on Monday night itself, seeking an early entry to the premises and for darshans of Lord Ram Lalla.
On the day of the mega consecration ceremony, Ayodhya saw a grand transformation with over 100 private jets flying above the site, rose petals were showered from the IAF choppers over the dignitaries assembled, swanky cars were seen, and a slew of VVIPs including celebrities, business icons, and political leaders graced the occasion.
Locals in Ram Janmbhoomi expressed that the town was “unrecognizable” on Monday during the consecration ceremony. Streets were adorned with exotic flowers and intricately crafted rangolis while ordinary residents of Ayodhya added their personal touch to the grandeur by offering flowers, conducting aartis, and sharing sweets. The first visuals of Lord Ram Lalla graced the TV screens while it was broadcast LIVE. People from every corner of the country celebrated Lord Ram’s return to his birthplace, Ayodhya, with chants echoing throughout the nation.
Ahead of the monumental Pran Pratishtha ceremony, it has been reported that an estimated amount of ₹85,000 crore was spent to revamp and redevelop Ayodhya, where major projects such as Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya and several Vande Bharat trains were inaugurated days before January 22 for the ease of devotees and give a tremendous boost to the holy city. Several reports have suggested that this massive revamp would attract over 50 million tourists to the city in a year, which is more than tourists visiting Vatican City (9 million tourists) and Mecca in Saudi Arabia (around 20 million), combined.
Meanwhile, although the international media extensively covered the monumental ceremony in Ayodhya, prominent online publications worldwide, including BBC, The New York Times, CNN, etc., made their hidden narratives widespread on the consecration ceremony led by PM Modi.
While many international reports widely celebrated Bharat’s inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, some publications’ uneasiness for Bharat’s triumph was apparent. The New York Times called the inauguration of the Ram Temple a “moment of triumph for Hindu nationalists”. The NYT reporter wrote that by doing this Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieved what other leaders couldn’t. However, it added that the temple “reinforced a sense of despair and dislocation” for the Muslim population in the country.
The BBC tried to portray that PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the temple for “political gains” amidst a boycott of the opposition. Shockingly, the Guardian in its report termed Hindus as a “radical mob” claiming that the demolition of the mosque paved the way for Hindu nationalism.
Another major publication house, CNN in its report termed the Ram Temple inauguration a “decade-long campaign” to pull India away from its secular roots.
However, what all these international publications have probably ignored is that “Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya was not just a mere “inauguration”, but a milestone for which devotees, not only in Bharat but across the globe have waited for justice for 500-long years.
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