From ‘Mangal Dhwani’ to showering flower petals, how Ayodhya basked in religious fervour for Ram Mandir ceremony

The PM described the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol as an 'extraordinary moment that would make everyone full of emotions'

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: January 23, 2024 08:48 AM IST

3 min read

Attendees at the Ram Mandir during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya on Monday. PTI

Days-long preparations for the much-awaited consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya culminated on Monday with Army helicopters showering flower petals over the attendees and a grand musical being a few of the many arrangements.

Outside the premises, the temple town was in the grip of religious fervour. Many households, temples and other buildings were illuminated and decorated with strings of flowers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in the rituals

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in elaborate ‘Pran Pratishtha’ rituals in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He also addressed the invitees at the event. He described the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol as an “extraordinary moment that would make everyone full of emotions”. “It is a matter of great privilege to be part of this divine programme,” the Prime Minister said on X.

Dressed in a golden kurta paired with a cream-coloured dhoti and patka, the PM walked into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple holding a silver umbrella on a folded red dupatta.

Dignitaries, guests from various fields attend event

The guests representing various fields of work including sports, entertainment, politics, education, armed forces as well as invitees from different countries, were part of the ceremony. The guests were given small bells to ring during the rituals and would be taken for darshan of the Ram Lalla idol in the new temple at end of the ceremony.

Army helicopters shower flower petals

Military choppers were roped in to shower flower petals over the premises after the temple priests and the PM concluded the main consecration ceremony.

Grand musical

Musicians from 18 states arrived with over 50 musical instruments to play “Mangal Dhwani” at the event. These included bansuri and dholak from Uttar Pradesh, veena from Karnataka, algoja from Punjab, sundari from Maharashtra, mradal from Orrisa, santoor from Madhya Pradesh, pungi from Manipur, nagara and kali from Assam, tambura from Chhattisgarh, shehnai from Delhi, ravanhatta from Rajasthan, srikhol and sarod from West Begal, tavil, mrandagam from Tamil Nadu, ghatam from Andhra Pradesh, sitar from Jharkhand, santar from Gujarat, pakhavaj from Bihar, hurka from Uttrakhand.

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The two-hour musical started around 10 am and was orchestrated by Yatindra Mishra, who hails from the royal family of Ayodhya along with Sangeet Natak Akademi in New Delhi. Besides, celebrated Indian singers such as Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Paudwal, and Sonu Nigam also performed during the ceremony.

Ghats of Ayodhya to light up

“Deepawali” would be celebrated on the banks of Ayodhya in the evening by lighting of record number of earthen lamps to mark the arrival of Ram in the temple.

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