India was filled with Diwali-like fervour on Monday as the country celebrated the historic inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The whole country was gripped in Lord Ram chants, posters, saffron flags, diyas, and firecrackers.
While several people, including union ministers and other politicians, celebrated ‘Deepotsav’ at their homes, some also took to the streets and lit up special lights and burst firecrackers. The Ram temple consecration ceremony was held on Monday afternoon in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among thousands of dignitaries.
Celebrations were seen across various states in India. In Tamil Nadu’s Chennai, a large group of people lit up diyas on a street to mark the inauguration of the Ram Mandir. The Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratisthanam (SGVP) Gurukul in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad was decorated with hundreds of special lights, and several firecrackers were also burst near the institute.
In Kerala, the ‘Ram Jyoti’ was lit up at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, where several people paid tributes. In the northeast, as many as one lakh earthen lamps each were lit at the revered Kamakhya temple and the Basistha temple in Guwahati.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lit up the ‘Ram Jyoti’ (earthen lamps) at his residence after the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla in the newly-built Ram temple in Ayodhya. He urged citizens to do the same and welcome Lord Ram in their homes.
The inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is a historic moment for India, and the celebrations across the country reflect the significance of the occasion.