Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday performed the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, drawing to a close a centuries-old dispute that has sparked communal disharmony on several occasions for the better part of the last century. The inauguration of the Ram Temple, hopefully marks an end to the bitterness and settles the issue once and for all.

Addressing a gathering of dignitaries, celebrities, and devotees from the Ram Temple site, the Prime Minister greeted the nation on the occasion. “After countless sacrifices and centuries of resilience, our Lord Ram is finally here. Our Lord Ram will not stay in a tent any longer. He will not reside in this grand temple,” the Prime Minister said, adding that he was moved by the spiritual experience of the Pran Pratishtha.

“This Ram Temple is not an ordinary occasion, it is a landmark that will be remembered for ages to come. The Ram Temple is the inheritance of centuries of our patience… I am sure that Lord Ram will forgive our shortcomings due to which He had to stay in a tent for so long. Those shortcomings have been removed today,” PM Modi said.

Narendra Modi, a BJP worker at the time, had visited Ayodhya in 1992 and reportedly vowed to return to the temple town only when all hindrances to the construction of the Ram Temple were removed. He did so only in August 2020 for the Bhoomi Pujan of the Ram Temple, following the Supreme Court’s unanimous verdict in the Ayodhya case that paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple on the disputed site.

Addressing the gathering after the consecration ceremony, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it was heartening to see that the Ram Temple has been built at the spot where Hindus had resolved to build it. “The entire country has become ‘Rammay’. It seems that we have entered Treta Yug…,” CM Adityanath said, lauding PM Modi’s role in the Ram Temple movement.

“The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla is a moment of national pride. Be rest assured that by the grace of Lord Ram, nobody will be able to cause any hindrance to visiting Ayodhya. The lanes of Ayodhya will not stand witness to gunshots any longer. There will be no curfews. Instead, Deepotsav, Ramotsav and chants of Ram Kirtan will reverberate in Ayodhya. Because the installation of Lord Ram in Awadh also marks the beginning of Ram Rajya,” he said.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that the Prime Minister had conducted an Anushthan that was several degrees higher than what was suggested to him by the priests. “The Prime Minister has done his part. Ram Lalla is now Virajman in Ayodhya. But we need to play our part here. We need to shun petty fights to ensure that Ram Rajya returns.”