Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a gigantic new temple in the Indian city of Ayodhya on Monday, 22nd January 2024 by concluding a long campaign in which Hindu nationalists tore down a centuries-old mosque and replaced it with a structure devoted to the Hindu deity Ram who is India’s Guardian Deity. Indians have immense faith in Ram that He looks after their safety and prosperity. Sanctification ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya is an affirmation of our faith and belief systems.
India was land of prosperity, peace, wealth, richness. One of the oldest civilizations called Indus Valley 5000 years ago. It has the oldest dharma – Sanatan Dharma. Ruins of Indian temples Hampi, Mahabalipuram, Konark speak a lot about Indian Architecture and prosperity. Water buildings in Rajashthan were built with ancient science and technology, centuries ago water harvesting, water storage techniques were invented by Indian architecture, North India faced multiple invasions who first looted temples of their wealth and then destroyed them. After Gupta rulers no Indian king could unite Indian independent regions, kings kept fighting with each other – this was taken advantage by Mogals, Afghanis, Persians, Mughals and then Britishers. India lost its identity and its Sanatan Dharma.
Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj has chiselled the ‘Ram Lalla’ idol. He is a fifth-generation sculptor. The idol carved by Yogiraj has been sculpted from a three-billion-year-old rock beautifully and aesthetically.
Ram Janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya, as a project has gone through a lot of struggles that has gone on for decades will now culminate in faith and conviction. It would be right to say that after Independence in 1947, January 22, 2024, will be marked as another day of liberation, this time of the mind and liberation from fear, injustice, and colonialism. We can’t relegate Ram to a mere religious figure. Ram is beyond the religion – he is in India’s character, culture, and is the root of India’s antiquity. Ram is deeply engraved in India’s conviction.
The belief and faith in Ram surpass beyond the geographical boundaries of India and is found in various places including Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The religious and cultural heritage of these countries celebrates Ram. In Thailand, his mention is in Ramakien, Serat Rama in Indonesia, Yama Zatdaw in Myanmar, Maharadia Lawana in the Philippines, and Hikayat Seri Rama in Malaysia. In India, various communities honour Ram in their own ways. One such community is the Ramnami community found in Chhatisgarh, known for their distinctive way of showing devotion to Lord Ram. They ink every part of their body with the word “Ram”. This is more than just an act of devotion – it is also a tool of rebelliousness against the deep-rooted caste system.
On 22nd Jan 2024, leading up to the temple’s consecration, public spaces around India were drumming with excitement. Ram is one of the most revered Gods among India’s Hindus, who make up about 80 percent of a total population of 1.4 billion. As the hero of the Ramayana epic, he is a king and a paragon of virtue.
The glory and grandeur of the Ram temple being built in Ayodhya was on display during the Republic Day parade in national capital New Delhi on 75th Republic Day. The tableau titled “Ayodhya Cultural Heritage” graced the grand parade in New Delhi.
Ram and the Ayodhya Ram Mandir are symbols of Ram Rajya, an ideal monarchy of truth on earth. The presence of Ram in the temple signifies the importance of personal individual effort to arrive at religious, moral perfection within one’s lifetime. With our personal effort, we can emulate Ram as this Maryada Purushottam.
