: Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hoisted the saffron flag atop the Maa Annapurna temple located in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi complex, Ayodhya, as part of the Pran Pratishtha Dwadashi celebrations. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust marked the second anniversary of the Ram temple’s opening according to the Hindu calendar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presided over the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024.
For Wednesday’s ceremony, Rajnath Singh arrived at the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya, from New Delhi at around 11am where he was received by chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
From the airport, the two leaders went to Hanuman Garhi temple to seek blessings and then reached Shri Ram Janmabhoomi complex to attend Vedic rituals before the flag hoisting ceremony.
The defence minister and the chief minister offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum of Ram temple.
Vedic rituals were performed by a team of scholars from South India along with local priests under the supervision of Jagadguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwaprasanna Teertha Maharaj of Pejawar Math, Udupi.
Amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and Vedic mantras, Singh and Adityanath performed Vedic rituals and hoisted the saffron flag on the 65-foot spire of the Maa Annapurna Temple.
{{/usCountry}}Amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and Vedic mantras, Singh and Adityanath performed Vedic rituals and hoisted the saffron flag on the 65-foot spire of the Maa Annapurna Temple.
{{/usCountry}}As they emerged from the temple complex, devotees welcomed them with chants of “Jai Shri Ram.”
The two leaders acknowledged the gathering by waving to the crowd. A large number of seers were present during the ceremony along with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and other members.
Later, both the leaders also offered prayers at Ram Darbar on the first floor of the temple complex.
Ayodhya was decked up for the occasion, with temples across the city decorated with flowers.
On November 25, Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had presided over the flag-hoisting ceremony at Ram Mandir.