Emergence of Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Emergence of a Nation

One of the most important events slated to happen around the same time as running this blog on the epic Ramayana is the emergence of the grand temple of Sri Rama in the town of Ayodhya in India. My little effort aside, the swaying of a nation in His name by inaugurating a marvel in his birthplace and leasing a life into the idol tomorrow is a dream of many people which has been realized in these times. A Ram mandir is getting inaugurated in Ram Janmabhoomi or the birth place of Rama – Ayodhya on January 22 of 2024. This has been left in the dark for more than 500 years and came to light during our time. There is no reason if we don’t celebrate the occasion, revel in his name and many a great number of His qualities. I still remember the nation which has been swayed on the ground to raise funds for His temple back in 2020-21 with the notion that everyone should give a brick in the emergence of a temple in Ayodhya. I myself participated in the door-to-door campaign on the occasion and there is nothing more which has spread along the length and breadth of the nation than this effort. The same has been a case now where the nationwide evoking, enlivening and enlightening activities are happening in His name. In a little over three years, the grand temple has taken shape from raising funds to laying foundations to construction with best possible measures and all decked up for inauguration tomorrow. The pace of work in building a monument of this significance has outpaced most of our imaginations. When an entire country is observing and weighing their expectations, there is no dearth of positive determination in putting all possible efforts to build a monument of this significance in over two years. This is beyond comprehension and even the lord himself will be highly impressed with this endeavor. Once the construction is just right for inauguration, re-creating the conscious memory of the lord across the nation and pulling everyone to be a part of the opening is another happening which occurred seamlessly in no time. A number of invitations of more than 7000 have been given to the eminent people to grace their stars on the inauguration ceremony of the rising star in the nation. Every other common man can participate in their own capacity from their homes in the nearby temples. This kind of national awakening cannot happen for any other cause other than the rise of a Lord who flows in the veins of a subdued nation for very long. 

I have a deep connection with this event, and I strongly believe that the emergence of Rama and His temple should resound and reverberate with the emerging landscape in the world around. A temple of this proportion is a mere symbolic representation that His being spread across the land, and His principles are taking shape in the world around. In this light, I might be a little instrument in spreading His word for the last twenty months and coincided with the completion of fifth Kanda – Sundara Kanda, one day before the inauguration of the grand temple. Something of significance is taking shape in parallel world all along. When online meets offline, it will produce a semblance of veracity and a resounding echo to the cause.  

More than the little digital efforts, this has been the result of the work of millions of kar sevaks on the ground for the past three decades or more. Since the birthplace of Ram - Ayodhya didn’t garnered a Temple on His name in the past, there is a wide-spread movement for Ram Mandir in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. There is tremendous traction and opposition to this movement since Babri Masjid was present at this location. Nothing of significance was built without this friction and this very friction will amplify the cause and increase the reach of His virtues. This Ram Mandir movement gained momentum in 1989, marked by the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s foundation stone-laying ceremony at the disputed site. The culmination of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement occurred on December 6, 1992, with the demolition of the Babri Mosque by kar sevaks organized by the VHP and BJP. This event triggered inter-communal riots and legal battles over the disputed site. The Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict on November 9, 2019, favoring the construction of a Ram temple at the Janmabhoomi site and allocating a separate piece of land for a mosque. It is of some importance to note that when the work on the ground comes to fruition, apex courts deliver. The same happened in November 2019 when the Supreme Court was submitted to the cause and delivered the historic judgement of the times. Subsequently, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra was formed to oversee the temple construction. A Masjid, a court, a number of kar sevaks, a political party and a temple trust – these are the five-fold reasons behind the realization of a grand temple of today which is highly relevant after a 35-year-old struggle of modern times. The efforts of the protesting kar sevaks who faced lot of resistance and opposition for many years gave life to the much-needed movement in the ancient land. Their efforts are the reason why the epic has reached many corners and the hidden gem went into the conscience of multitudes. I have a strong reason to feel the emergence of my work came directly out of their struggle and the modern-day acceptance in favour of the Mandir is born out of the rigid resistance they faced many years prior. The work in the sidelines and relegated to very few has now reached the mainstream involving the powerful elite who are all passionately involved in the conception and development of the temple for the prime time since the last 4 years. This once again has universal appeal and never subscribed to one community or religion. The Muslims are safe to own while improving their own interests and for playing a major role, putting a thrust behind the realization of a billion-plus people’s dream. There is a strong sense in strengthening the secular fabric of the nation by awakening the finest virtues in the public and by building a universal monument. Simply, the ideals stood by “Rama” enriches and applies to everyone and leaves no one out of its realm. The soft-Hindutva and the liberals or moderates but not extremes of a religiion does more good to everyone than those who don’t stand ground for the self and their own foundations. This emergence of the monument and a national conscience inherently marks the progress in the awakening of a nation to its glory while serving the interests of everyone. When the country becomes strong by standing on its core values, foundation; will it emerge as a force to reckon with internally and externally. 

For a recap and the gist of the story, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya holds immense cultural, religious, and historical significance for millions of people in India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Ram and its construction has been a matter of intense debate, legal battles, and emotions for several decades. The original temple, said to have been constructed in ancient times, stood on the site where the Babri Masjid was later built. In 2019, the Supreme Court of India delivered a historic verdict. The court ruled in favor of the construction of the temple on the disputed land, while also ordering the allocation of an alternate piece of land to the Muslim community for the construction of a mosque. Following the Supreme Court’s verdict, the construction of the Ram Mandir began in Ayodhya. The Bhoomi Pujan ceremony, marking the beginning of the temple’s construction, took place on August 5, 2020, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi participating in the event. The construction is being overseen by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The construction of the temple marks a significant chapter in India’s history, and its impact on the social and cultural landscape will continue to be felt for years to come. 

With regards to the details of the construction, the entire superstructure is designed to be three storeys high—G+2. To reach the main temple, visitors will ascend 32 steps from the east. The temple, constructed in the traditional Nagara style, boasts dimensions of 380 feet in length (east-west direction), 250 feet in width, and a height of 161 feet. Each floor of the temple will stand at a height of 20 feet, featuring a total of 392 pillars and 44 gates. A distinctive element is the rectangular periphery called ‘percota,’ a feature more commonly found in South Indian temples rather than those in the north, adding a unique touch to the grand design. The main sanctum sanctorum will house the infant form of Lord Rama – the idol of Shri Ram Lalla which will be brought to life on Jan 22 by the consecration ceremony to bless the people henceforth and on the first floor there will be a court of Lord Rama which will include Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. The temple will have five mandaps. Sculptures of deities and celestial beings are being carved on the pillars and walls of the temple. The temple will be surrounded by a rectangular parikrama with a total length of 732 meters and a width of 14 feet in all directions. Four temples dedicated to Suryadev, Maa Bhagwati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Shiva will be constructed at the corners of the parikrama. In the northern arm, there will be a temple dedicated to Maa Annapurna and in the Southern arm, there will be a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Other temples in the temple complex will be dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki, Maharishi Vishwamitra, Maharishi Agasthya, Nishadraj, Mata Shabari and Rishi Patni Devi Ahilya. The construction will cost around 1800 crore. 

Something noteworthy is not entire temple is Indian originated. Janakpur in Nepal, considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram's wife Sita, has a deep connection and has been lit up ahead of the 'Pran Prathistha' ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Jan 22. In the lead up, two 'sacred rocks' or Shaligram excavated from the Kaligandaki river of Nepal to build a statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya was handed to the Ram Mandir Trust. 

The construction of the monument and the surrounding ecosystem is ongoing and it would be great to see an Ayodhya depicted in the Ayodhya Kanda or the second book of the Ramayana epic. Indians have neglected the invaluable past for many thousands of years. We have been in a state of slumber which has forgotten the greatness of our own land. The time for the revival is upon us and there is nothing better to revive the lost glory of Rama and become a shining example of his followers. The emergence of this monument is certainly seen as an ushering of dharma, truth and virtuous qualities defeating the demonic opposites prevailing far and wide in the land and beyond. It is a significance of victory of good and truth over bad and evil. The Gods blesses the lands prevalent with this and heavens should open up for the consecration, presided over by one and all. As everyone can see, the emergence of Lord Ram is truly on the ground, in the world around us which is put on paper. In a certain sense, the emergence of this monument reflects the awakening of a nation.