'Ram Mandir pran pratishtha in Ayodhya culmination of centuries of perseverance, sacrifice,' says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a recent interview that the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya marked the culmination of  centuries of perseverance and sacrifice. He said that the name of Lord Rama has been imprinted on India's national consciousness and his "life has set the contours of thoughts and values in our civilisation."

"The return of Shri Ram to his birthplace marked a historic moment of unity for the nation. It was a culmination of centuries of perseverance and sacrifice," the Prime Minister told US-based magazine Newsweek

During this interview, he also talked about being a part of the Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony. The Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony took place amid much fanfare in Ayodhya on January 22 this year.

"When I was asked to be part of the ceremony, I knew I would be representing the 1.4 billion people of the country, who have waited patiently for centuries to witness Ram Lalla's return," PM Modi said. Commenting on the ceremony itself, he said it was "akin to a second Diwali."

"Every home was illuminated by the light of Ram Jyoti. I see it as a divine blessing that I could experience the consecration ceremony as a representative of 1.4 billion Indians," he said.

Before being a part of the ceremony in Ayodhya, Narendra Modi observed an 11-day special ritual wherein he made a pilgrimage to places related to Lord Rama and Ramayana. Talking about this experience, the Prime Minister said during these 11 days, "I carried with me the aspirations of countless devotees, eagerly anticipating this day."

The Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony was attended by who's who from all walks of life such as Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Mukesh Ambani and family, Lakshmi Mittal, and Niranjan Hiranandani among others.

Actors of the 1987 serial Ramayan-- Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhalia, and Sunil Lahiri-- were also present at the occasion. Opposition parties, however, gave the event a miss, stating that it was political in nature.

In 2019, the Supreme Court put an end to the decades-long dispute between Hindus and Muslims. The top court ruled that the Ram Temple be built on the disputed land while directing the authorities to provide a separate plot of land for constructing a mosque in Ayodhya.