Foundation laid to realise dream

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Foundation laid to realise dream

Thursday, 06 August 2020 | Biswajeet Banerjee | Ayodhya

Foundation laid to realise dream

Nine shilas with gold, silver, precious stones were laid during bhoomi pujan for Ram Temple at 12.44 pm amid ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans

Amid chants of Vedic hymns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Ram temple at a site within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, thus announcing a formal launch of the construction of the temple.

“Nine shilas (bricks) with gold, silver and precious stones embedded on them were worshipped and are laid as foundation,” Mahant Kamal Narain Das said.

Worship was offered to a 40-kilogram silver plaque with details of the Ram temple movement and its construction inscribed on it. It would be fixed at the main wall of the temple.

Champat Rai, general secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, announced that in 1989 Ram Bhakts had donated 2.75 lakh bricks for the construction of the temple. “We chose 9 from them and these were used to lay the foundation today,” he said. The foundation stone was laid after almost 30 minutes of Puja exactly at 12.44 pm with slogans of “Jai Shree Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” filling the air. The priest who conducted the puja also narrated in detail the importance of the Ram temple, the Ram Rajya, and how a 500-year-old dream of Hindus was fulfilled today.

Before the groundbreaking, the PM offered prayers at the make-shift Ram Lalla temple, thus became the first PM of the country to offer prayers at the temple.

The bhoomi pujan ceremony was attended UP Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat besides Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Thirath Khetra Trust members.

LK Advani, 92, and Murli Manohar Joshi, 86, the two BJP stalwarts who had led the campaign to build the temple in its early days, are said to have watched the live telecast of the event on television sets. Home Minister Amit Shah watched the event from his bed in a Gurugram hospital where the 55-year-old top BJP leader was admitted last week after infection with coronavirus.

After the ritual was over, the PM also put tika from the soil on his forehead and recited the mantras amid priests praying for the completion of the Ram temple and well-being of the universe.

Rai said that during the groundbreaking ceremony soil and holy water from several religious places across India were collected. “We have received over 2,000 earthen pots carrying holy water of various rivers and boxes carrying soil sent from various Hindu temples and Gurdwaras across India to bless the upcoming temple,” he said.

Rai said that temples in the US, Canada and Caribbean Islands held a virtual service to celebrate the occasion. He said over 2,000 temples in Ayodhya have also joined in the celebrations by lighting lamps and chanting religious hymns.

President of India Ramnath Kovind said in his tweet: “Felicitations to all for the foundation laying of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Being built in tune with law, it defines India’s spirit of social harmony and people’s zeal. It will be a testimony to ideals of Ram Rajya and a symbol of modern India.”

The construction of the temple will be completed within 3 and half years. The original design for the Ram temple was prepared in 1988 but was changed in 2020 after the court ruled in favour of Hindus.

Chandrakant Sompura, the main architect of the temple said as per new design Ram Temple will be 235 feet wide, 360 feet long and 161 feet high. “The temple complex will have a prayer hall, a lecture hall, educational facility, saints residence and a hostel for visitors. It will have other facilities like a museum and a cafeteria. Once complete the temple complex will be the world’s third largest Hindu shrine.”

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