Ayodhya saw a spiritually soul-stirring moment on Thursday as the consecration (Pran Pratishtha) of Shri Ram Darbar and other deities ended with devotion and splendor, coinciding with sacred Ganga Dussehra.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the deeply symbolic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.
The ceremony saw the end of a three-day spiritual festival in the Ram temple complex. The city was alive since the early morning hours with the sound of Vedic hymns, the blowing of conch shells, and sonorous recitals by Acharyas, filling Ayodhya with a spiritual atmosphere.
The rituals started at 6:30 a.m. with ceremonial worship of invoked divinities at the Yagya Mandap, and then a havan at 9 a.m. In a remarkable blend of tradition and contemporaneity, cutting-edge audio-visual systems integrated the entire consecration process, maintaining synchrony across several shrines at the auspicious muhurta.
Deities worshipped during the ceremony were Shri Ram Darbar, Sheshavatar, Lord Shiva in the northeast, Ganesh Ji in the southeast, Hanuman Ji in the south, Surya Dev in the southwest, Maa Bhagwati in the northwest, and Annapurna Mata in the north.
The spiritual proceedings ended with an Aarti and a lavish Bhandara (community feast), attracting saints, Vedic scholars, the members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and a huge crowd of devotees from all over India and abroad.
Complementing the importance of the day was the birthday of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who celebrated the day by taking blessings from Lord Ram. The day was also commemorating the Trayodashi Janmotsav, which is the Saryu River's birth anniversary, adding to the spirituality.
Numerous religious leaders appreciated the Chief Minister for staying devoted to restoring the heritage and sacredness of Ram Nagari. During his leadership, Ayodhya has seen an unprecedented turnaround, with more than ₹32,000 crore spent on infrastructure and city development in eight years.
Works like building an international airport, development of the Saryu riverfront, upgradation of transport connectivity, and development of landmarks like Ram Katha Park and the new temple complex have raised Ayodhya's profile as an international spiritual hub.
To guarantee the security of the event, security agencies launched a comprehensive multi-layered security plan. The ATS, CRPF, PAC, and the local police had officers conducting strict vigilance, supplemented by state-of-the-art monitoring systems, guarding the temple as well as its periphery during the ceremonies.
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