With Ram Temple, India Has Embarked On New Journey: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that god gave him the duty to build the nation as a temple, asserting that the wheel of time had turned for India as it recorded many firsts and set an example for the world.

- S Raju

Modi was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of the Shri Kalki Dham temple at Ainchoda Kamboh village in Sambhal district of western Uttar Pradesh. Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who was recently expelled from the Congress, heads the trust which built the shrine.

On the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he had said that a new cycle has started from January 22, Modi said on Monday, adding that the moment still makes him emotional. "When Lord Shri Ram ruled, his influence lasted for thousands of years. Similarly, with the enthronement of Ram Lalla, a new journey began for India for the next thousand years," he said.

The sacrifices of centuries were now bearing fruit, just like a seed laid for a long time germinates during the rainy season, he said. "We have been attacked for hundreds of years. Had it been any other country, it would have been destroyed. We are still standing," he said. India is a nation that can pull out a victory even from defeat, the PM added.