PM Modi showered flower petals on Ram Temple construction crew.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today showered flower petals on the workers who were involved in the construction of the Ayodhya temple after the 'pran pratishtha' or consecration of the Ram Lalla idol was completed.
The Prime Minister, dressed in a cream kurta pajama, was seen taking out the petals from a wicker basket and showering it on the team behind the construction of the temple.
PM Modi led the rituals at the grand temple that was watched by politicians, businessmen, sports and media stars watched along with lakhs of people nationwide.
"Our Ram has come," PM Modi said in his address after the ceremony, which also marks the inauguration of the temple. It is expected to open Tuesday to the public.
He chanted religious verses before placing flower petals at the feet of the deity, then bowed before it and circled a sacred flame, while outside, a military helicopter showered petals on the temple.
At the end of the rituals, the PM prostrated himself before the idol, which depicts the child Ram.
Traditional clarinets played devotional music during the rituals for the 51-inch tall, black stone deity that represents the god-king as a five-year-old child.
The event has ignited religious fervour across India, with many states declaring a holiday on Monday, stock markets shut and homes and businesses illuminated after PM Modi called for it to be marked as another Diwali.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its east-west length is 380 feet, width 250 feet and height 161 feet. It is supported by 392 pillars and has 44 doors.
The pillars and walls of the temple showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities.
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.
Top Opposition leaders skipped the event, calling it an RSS-BJP event. But Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh, who is the son of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, arrived at the venue.