Highlights: Everything About Historic Ayodhya Ram Mandir Ceremony

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, unveiled the 51-inch Ram Lalla idol in a grand ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The idol, made from a single block of stone, depicts Lord Ram as a five-year-old child standing on a lotus.

The Ram Mandir, built in Nagara architecture, is a large compound that spans 380 feet from east to west and 250 feet wide. The ceremony was attended by many famous people from various fields, including temples, religious organizations, industrialists, and actors.

The ceremony was also celebrated globally, with the Indian diaspora lighting up New York Times Square with images of the Ram Mandir and Lord Ram. In Mexico, the first temple dedicated to Lord Ram was built in Queretaro.

Prime Minister Modi followed a strict spiritual practice for 11 days before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, sleeping on the floor and drinking coconut water. He visited various temples across the country and took a holy dip at a beach called Rameswaram ‘Angi theerth’.

At the inauguration ceremony, Modi expressed his emotional joy as Lord Ram had finally arrived in Ayodhya after nearly 500 years of waiting. The temple has been consecrated for Lord Ram, and he thanked the judiciary for awarding the disputed site to the Hindu petitioners in 2019. Modi also highlighted the significance of January 22, 2024, as it marks the advent of a new era of India as a developed country.