Centuries-old wounds healing: PM Modi hoists saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop Ayodhya Ram Temple

OPERATION SINDOOR SHOWED WORLD NEW INDIA DOES NOT BOW BEFORE TERRORISM: MODI IN KURUKSHETRA

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hoisted the saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, marking the formal completion of the grand structure and declaring that “centuries-old wounds” were beginning to heal as a 500-year-long resolve had reached its conclusion.

The ceremony, held during the auspicious Abhijeet Muhurt and coinciding with Vivah Panchami, took place in the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Modi, making his fifth visit to Ayodhya as prime minister, arrived in the temple town to a large road show in which crowds lined the route and showered flower petals while Ram Dhun played from public speaker systems. With hundreds of artistes performing folk, classical and devotional pieces across the city, Ayodhya had the appearance of a vast cultural arena under a detailed security plan.

Calling the occasion “unique” and “divine” the prime minister said the flag, adorned with the Sun symbol, the sacred syllable Om and the Kovidara tree, would stand as a symbol of the victory of truth over falsehood. “Today, the entire nation and the world are immersed in Ram. Centuries-old wounds are healing, centuries-long pain is finding closure, as the resolve that burned for 500 years finally reached fulfilment,” he said. Modi had earlier presided over the foundation stone ceremony of the temple complex on August 5, 2020, alongside Bhagwat.

The road to construction began after the Supreme Court's unanimous verdict of November 9, 2019, which paved the way for the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The Centre announced the trust on February 5, 2020. The Pran Pratishtha of the idol was carried out on January 22, 2022, and the Ram Darbar was opened to the public on June 14, 2025.