A “Tapasvi” PM Leads Prayers at Ram Mandir

A fever of anticipation peaked along with the certainty that a long-awaited moment was not only at hand but would be fulfilled. The soulful renditions of Ram bhajans by Sonu Nigam and Shankar Mahadevan tugged at the hearts of devotees, in perfect sync with the air of spirituality that enveloped the city of Ayodhya. The wait ended at 12.05 pm when Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the precincts of the Ram Mandir carrying a silver “chatri” on a folded red cloth with golden strands and the gathered audience of hundreds of religious figures and celebrities from clapped in welcome.

A few minutes later Modi entered the temple from the east gate and soon reached the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) where he handed the cloth and the chatri to waiting priests. With the consecration of the new idol of Lord Ram set for a very precise time band, the priest leading the ceremony lost no time in beginning the rituals, directing the Prime Minister on offering libations while doing so himself.

The Doordarshan cameras recorded every step to the garbha griha and the civilisational drama that unfolded with the sacred chamber. The Prime Minister was joined by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat. A little later, at around 12.06 pm, one part of the rituals were over. The cameras showed the older idol of infant Ram but there were tantalising glimpses of the main idol of a five-year-old Ram sculpted by Yogiraj of Mysuru. A view ofthe Lord’s feet every now and then only heightened a sense of growing impatience of millions watching the televised event.

But here was the Lord duly consecrated and installed in his residence and a collective gasp rose as the face of the idol revealed in close and detailed views at 12.30 pm. Though the idol’s pictures have been in circulation, the gaze of the camera revealed a smiling and peaceful visage different from either the bow and arrow wielding pictorial representations or the adult image in the company of Sita and Lakshman.

With the Prime Minister leading, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, UP Governor Anandiben Patel and Bhagwat stood next to the idol and placed flowers and other tributes at the feet of the Lord. The shining garments, resplendent jewellery around the waist and chest and a splendid crown provided a lustre that added to the glow of the polished idol and Yogi later complimented the sculptor for casting in stone the image etched in the popular imagination based on countless recitations of the Ramayana through the ages. One by one, they touched the feet of the Lord and as the ceremony drew to a close, flutes became more upbeat tapping out the popular bhajan “Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram.”

The ceremonies ended soon after Modi finished the aarti with silver lamp that he held up to the deity. The prayers ended around 1.06 pm and Modi received an offering of the prasad or consecrated sweets offered to the deity. He bowed to the sadhus present in the chamber and the priests as well and then lay full length before the idol of Ram Lalla with the smaller, older idol placed in front. The chamber has a high vaulting roof but it not very wide and there is limited space around the two idols. At the end of the nearly hour-long ceremony, Modi completed a stellar performance in the consecration ceremony with all solemnity and gravity the occasion demanded. It was no surprise that he was hailed as a “tapasvi PM” after the ceremony ended and before he was address the assembled audience.

The Prime Minister met the workers involved in the construction of the temple and walked among them showering them with flower petals to their delight. The men and women seemed to understand their role in what is a national project not too different in significance from the “vanar sena” that built the bridge to Sri Lanka to allow Ram to lead his armies against Ravana.

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Rajeev Deshpande

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