Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a roadshow in Ayodhya ahead of the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, where he will hoist the sacred saffron flag atop the temple’s 191-foot-high shikhara.
Hundreds of devotees welcomed the Prime Minister with a tricolour in their hands as he headed to the Ram Temple for the ceremony.
Earlier today, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed PM Modi at the Ayodhya airport.
“A hearty welcome and felicitation to the esteemed Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji in the foremost of the seven sacred cities, Shri Ayodhya Dham,” CM Yogi wrote on X.
The Prime Minister will ceremonially hoist the flag, symbolising the completion of the temple’s construction and ushering in a new chapter of cultural celebration and national unity, at noon today. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering on this historic occasion.
The ‘Dharma Dhwaj’ carries three sacred symbols, Om, the Sun and the Kovidara tree, each representing profound spiritual values rooted in the Sanatan tradition.
The Kovidar tree is a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap, showcasing ancient plant hybridisation. The Sun represents Lord Ram’s Suryavansh lineage, and Om is the eternal spiritual sound.
Hoisting of the flag to coincide with the Abhijit Muhurat of Shri Ram and Maa Sita’s Vivah Panchami.
Indologist Lalit Mishra said, “This flag was discovered unintentionally… I saw Ayodhya’s flag in one of the paintings of the pictorial Ramayana of Mewar. I found the reference to this flag in Valmiki Ramayana’s Ayodhya Kand. The tree on the flag is a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap, which could have been one of the earliest experiments in plant hybridisation. I faced a difficult time in establishing the identity of Kovidar and Kachnar tree as both had the same biological name. I am glad the flag is back to the place it originated from after such a long time.”
Meanwhile, ahead of the ceremony, the PM will visit Saptmandir, which houses temples related to Maharshi Vashishtha, Maharshi Vishwamitra, Maharshi Agastya, Maharshi Valmiki, Devi Ahilya, Nishadraj Guha and Mata Shabari. This will be followed by a visit to Sheshavtar Mandir.
The Prime Minister will also visit Mata Annapurna Mandir. After this, he will perform Darshan and Pooja at Ram Darbar Garbh Grah, which will be followed by Darshan at Ram Lalla Garbha Grah.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will also be present at the occasion.
Earlier today, CM Yogi called the event the “renaissance of Sanatan culture.”
In an X post, CM Yogi wrote, “In the foremost of the seven sacred cities, the divine Shri Ayodhya Dham, today, from the sacred hands of the honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, a grand saffron flag is about to be hoisted atop the spire of the Lord Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.”
“This divine message of the renaissance of Sanatan culture is infusing indomitable spiritual and soulful energy throughout the entire Bharatvarsha. The faith, penance, and anticipation of crores of Ram devotees are today about to be established at a new pinnacle. The nation is today immersed in Ram, immersed in Dharma,” he added. (ANI)
