Ram darbar consecration at Ayodhya: What this means, which is the ‘only temple’ where Ram is worshipped as king

While the consecration last year was for the idol of Ramlala, or Ram the child, this pran pratistha was of the Ram Darbar, or Ram as the king, surrounded by wife Sita, brother Lakshmana, and devoted ally Hanuman.

While the Ram Darbar can be found in many Indian homes, there is only one temple in India where Ram is worshipped as the king. Which temple is that? In which other forms in Ram worshipped? We explain.

Why the second pran pratishtha

Consecration is the formal process that transforms an idol into a deity, which can be worshipped and grant boons. You can read in detail about the process and significance of pran pratishtha here.

Since Ayodhya is both the birthplace and the kingdom of Ram — the seventh avatar of Vishnu — the temple honours him in both forms. Ramlala, or Balak Ram, or Ram the child, is worshipped as a symbol of purity and innocence, in the vatsalya (tenderness) form of bhakti (devotion).

Ram the king is worshipped as a symbol of justice and peace. Ramrajya (the reign of Ram) in the Hindu tradition is symbolic of an ideal state, a land where people live in harmony under a fair and efficient rule.

However, interestingly, the one temple in India dedicated to Ram as king does not worship him as the king of Ayodhya alone.

Ramraja temple in Orchha

The Ramraja temple is located in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. Acharya Jai Prakash Tripathi from Kashi, the priest who led the recent consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, told The Indian Express, “The consecration in Ayodhya was of the Ram Darbar, or the court of Ram, where He is featured along with Mata Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. The Ram Darbar symbolises Ram as both king and head of family, who inspires love and devotion and dispenses justice. The only temple which worships Ram as the king is located in Orchha, where he is worshipped as the king of Orchha.”

The Ramraja temple does not have the shikhara, or the spire above the sanctum sanctorum that is a standard feature of temples. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The Orchha temple was built during the reign of Madhukar Shah (1554–1592) of the Bundela dynasty. Legend goes that while Madhukar Shah was a devotee of Lord Krishna, his wife, Queen Ganesh Kunwari, was a devotee of Lord Ram. Once, the king wanted to visit Braj-Mathura with the queen. Ganesh Kunwari, however, had had a dream where Lord Ram directed her to build a temple for Him. She, thus, wanted to go to Ayodhya.

Incensed, Madhukar Shah said she could go to Ayodhya, but should come back only if she brought Ram with her.

The queen then went to Ayodhya and prayed for months. When Lord Ram did not appear, the dejected Ganesh Kunwari threw herself into the Sarayu river. Here, an idol of Ram appeared in her arms. The Lord, however, put several conditions before going to Orchha.

First was that he would be worshipped as the king of Orchha, second was he would travel only in the Pushya nakshatra (a certain alignment of stars and planets), and the third was that wherever the idol was first put down would be his home.

The queen accepted. When the king heard the news, he was overjoyed and ordered the construction of the Chaturbhuj temple to receive the idol.

Once back, Ganesh Kunwari put the idol in her chambers at night, intending to move it to the temple the next day. However, the idol refused to budge. Thus, it is the queen’s palace which is the Ramraja temple today. The Chaturbhuj temple stands next to it, dedicated to Vishnu.

The Chaturbhuj temple in Orchha, where the Ram idol was originally to be kept. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The Ramraja temple does not have the shikhara, or the spire above the sanctum sanctorum that is a standard feature of temples, pointing to its origin as a palace. It has arched entrances and domed chhatris, more in keeping with a palace.

“Because the deity here is a king, it gets a guard of honour. Even today, four policemen from the Madhya Pradesh police are assigned to the temple. The aarti here has a martial note to it, and is accompanied by a gun salute. Also, distinguished guests are offered a beera (betel nut) and ittar (perfume), as they would at a king’s palace, as opposed to prasad (an offering of sweets) in temples,” Avinash Pathak, the District Informatics Officer of Tikamgarh, where Orchha is located, told The Indian Express.

In what other forms is Ram worshipped?

Shiv Prasad Pandey, Sanskrit teacher at DAV Post Graduate College in Varanasi, told The Indian Express that apart from Ramlala and Raja Ram, the other form is Kodanddhari Ram, or Ram the warrior carrying his bow and arrow. “This form is quite popular in south India,” Pandey said.