PM to hoist Ram Temple flag at grand event today

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoists the ‘Dharmdwaja'— the Ram Temple flag — 203 feet above the ground level at 11.55am on Tuesday, the unfurling of the saffron flag will also mark the formal culmination of the construction work that began over five years ago.

- Pawan Dixit

On August 5, 2020, Modi had performed the bhumi pujan or foundation-laying ceremony for the Ram Temple, marking the start of the construction; Modi had then led the grand consecration ceremony of the temple on January 22, 2024. And now, the 70 acre temple and the holy city are both decked up for the grand finale of this project.

“Lord Shri Ram is the soul of India, the basis of its consciousness and its pride... it is a matter of supreme fortune that tomorrow... I will have the opportunity for darshan and worship in the divine and magnificent Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple complex... at around 12 noon, I will witness the historic moment of the formal hoisting of the saffron flag atop the sacred temple... This flag is a symbol of Lord Shri Ram's radiance, valour and his ideals, as well as our faith, spirituality and cultural heritage,” he posted on X.

Champat Rai, general secretary of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said: “The construction began on August 5, 2020 and will come to an end with the flag hoisting ceremony.”

“The flag has symbols of the Sun, Om, and Kovidar tree, as described in the Valmiki Ramayana, inscribed on it,” said Gopal Rao, a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office bearer who is overseeing preparations of the flag hoisting ceremony.

The 22-foot-long and 11-foot-wide flag will be raised on a 42-foot mast atop the 161-foot spire of the temple. The flagpole will be fixed on a 360-degree rotating chamber, ensuring the flag sustains wind speeds of up to 60 km per hour, said the trust.

The flag, made of special parachute fabric and silk threads, can withstand the sun, rain, and strong winds, said Anil Mishra, member of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.