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Ram temple in Ayodhya to be symbol of India’s unity: Yogi
The construction work of the Ram Temple began on August 5, 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Garbha Griha or sanctum sanctorum of the under-construction Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and described it as India’s victory against invaders and a symbol of the country’s unity.
Adityanath also said the Ram Mandir will be the national temple of India.
“Today is an important day in the ongoing construction of Ram Mandir, which will be the national temple of India. It will also become a force to bind the nation in one thread under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ campaign… This (laying of foundation stone) is India’s victory against the invaders,” the chief minister said.
The construction work of the Ram Temple began on August 5, 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone. The idol of Ram Lalla, or the infant deity, was relocated to a new makeshift temple on March 25, 2020.
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is overseeing activities such as organising events or fund collection and will ultimately look after the temple, had earlier announced that it plans to open the sanctum sanctorum for devotees by December 2023.
Adityanath laid the stone for the sanctum sanctorum amid chanting of mantras and prayers during the ceremony conducted by 11 priests, in the presence of Ram Temple trust officials and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
Nripendra Misra, chairman of Ram Temple Construction Committee which is particularly looking into the construction work, and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, chairman of the Trust, were also present at the event.
“The ‘tadpan (pain) suffered by the devotees is going to end,” the chief minister said, calling it a “very special day” in the construction of the Ram Temple.
India’s faith was attacked by invaders, he said. “Now, in the end, India has won.”
“Once again the slogan of Satyameva Jayate (truth wins) has proved its significance,” he said, adding the “victory” has been achieved through the path of “dharma, truth and justice”.
Adityanath also released a book on the construction of the Ram temple and felicitated engineers associated with it.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the temple’s chief priest, said there was enthusiasm all over the country over this moment. “Since the construction work of the temple started, it has been the hope of the devotees to be able to see the grand temple. Now, they can see the grand construction of the temple in a few days,” he was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Sandstones from Bansi Paharpur in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan will be used for the construction of the main structure of the temple. The Rajasthan government recently granted environmental clearance to 12 mines in Bansi Paharpur area for supply of the sandstones.
In 2019, the Supreme Court had paved the way for the construction of the temple at the site of the demolished 16th-century Babri Masjid.
According to Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, around one-third of construction work of the temple has been completed so far.
