Illuminated gate of the Ram Mandir after its consecration ceremony, in Ayodhya, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ayodhya: It was a day of fulfillment for the residents of Ayodhya, many of whom had been witness to the events that unfolded over the years before the construction of the Ram Temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi started in earnest in the temple town.
Elderly denizens recalled the firing on the kar sevaks during the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in 1990 and also the demolition of the Babri Masjid a couple of years later. However, many among the younger generation have only heard the stories of the tumultuous past but had been eagerly waiting for this moment all the same.
''It's a day of fulfillment for me...I had been waiting for this day for over three decades,'' said Raj Kishore, a resident of the town.
For 25-year old Ajay Kumar, also a resident of the temple town, the Ram mandir should have been constructed a long time back.
''Ram temple is not a political issue. Every party should have supported construction of the Temple,'' he told DH as he proceeded to the bank of the Saryu river to witness the 'deepotsav' (lighting of earthen lamps) there.
Many among the youngsters also feel that the Ram temple will bring development to the region. ''Ayodhya has got a new look. The Ram temple will bring a large number of religious tourists to the town and it will boost tourism here and generate employment also for the local youths,'' said another young man as he jostled with the crowd to get a good view of the Saryu bank with the lit lamps.
Hindu devotees light earthen oil lamps on the bank of the Sarayu river to celebrate the inauguration of the Lord Ram temple, in Ayodhya, India, January 22, 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
The residents erupted in joy and chanted "Jai Shriram" as prime minister Narendra Modi completed the consecration ceremony. The residents remained glued to the large LED TV sets installed in different parts of the town to live-stream the consecration ceremony as only the invited guests were allowed to stay in the Ram Janmabhoomi Complex.
The residents lit earthen lamps outside their homes and exchanged greetings with one another. Many residents gathered at different temples, mutts and ashrams in the town and held special pujas and aarti.
A large number of people descended at the Ram ki Paidi on the Saryu bank to light earthen lamps.
According to reports, several families claim to belong to the 'Suryavanshi Thakurs' lineage, who are thought to be descendants of Lord Ram. These families, residing at Sarairasi village in Ayodhya district, wore their traditional pagdi (headgear) and leather slippers on Monday. The action was symbolic of their pledge not to wear shoes till Ram Lala was installed in a grand Ram Temple.
The residents of the town said that Jan 22 was now their "real Diwali". ''Diwali is celebrated on the day Lord Rama had returned to Ayodhya from exile after killing Ravana ... today is the Diwali day as Ram Lala has finally been installed as a live person after the consecration,'' said one resident.