Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and actor Hema Malini was seen dancing with Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti at the premises of Ram Temple in Ayodhya moments after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the historical mandir.
Meanwhile, the new Ram Lalla idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday, an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of hundreds of Hindu saints and dignitaries from across the sphere.
Army helicopters showered flower petals on the newly constructed Janmabhoomi temple as the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony took place -– a seminal occasion in India's political and religious history. “Our Ram has come,” PM Modi said in his address that followed the consecration, which also marks the inauguration of the temple. It is expected to open Tuesday to the public.
"The extraordinary moment of the consecration of Shri Ram Lalla's life in Ayodhya Dham is going to leave everyone emotional. It is my great pleasure to be a part of this divine programme.
Hail Siya Ram!" he tweeted earlier.
He performed a series of rituals at the temple, with the ‘pran pratishtha’ taking place during the 84-second 'Abhijeet muhurta'. At the end of the rituals, the PM prostrated himself before the idol, which depicts the child Ram.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Outside, Ayodhya resident Anil Singh called it a “priceless moment” that he would treasure forever. “As a resident of Ayodhya, I feel proud that I live in this spiritual city,” he said.
Leaving the sanctum sanctorum, the PM moved to another location to address a gathering of about 8,000, which included seers, people linked to Ram Janmabhoomi movement and celebrities from fields like entertainment, sports and industry.
Senior BJP leaders including party chief J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah watched the live streaming of the consecration ceremony. The run-up to the consecration ceremony, which takes place just months before the Lok Sabha elections, was marked by sparring between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.
(With PTI inputs)
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