Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Ayodhya -- 29 years after his last visit to the temple town -- where he participated in a "Bhoomi Pujan" or a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the building of a grand Ram temple there. After the ceremony which saw PM laying a silver brick for a grand Ram temple, he addressed a gathering of spiritual leaders who had come to attend the grand event.
"India is emotional as decades of wait has ended. Crores won't believe that they have seen this day in our lifetime. For years, our Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) lived beneath a tent, now he will reside in a grand temple built by Ram bhakts. Today, Ram Janambhoomi has been liberated," said PM Modi, who began his address chanting "Siyavar Ram Chandra ki Jai!" and "Jai Siya Ram" as he addressed some 170 people at the "Bhoomi Pujan" ceremony.
PM Modi began his visit to Ayodhya by offering prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya - a shrine to Lord Hanuman. He then went to Ramjanmabhoomi or the birthplace of Lord Ram to pray at the shrine to "Ram Lalla", the infant Lord Ram, before proceeding to the site of the main "Bhoomi Pujan" ceremony for a Ram Temple.
The guest list for the grand event has been severely trimmed in view of coronavirus. Besides PM Modi, 50 VIPs including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attended the ceremony.
