Ayodhya fills with devotion ahead of PM Modi's flag ceremony at Ram temple

Ayodhya resonated with devotional fervour on Tuesday morning as thousands of devotees streamed into the temple town ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to ceremonially hoist a saffron flag atop the Ram temple, marking the formal completion of its construction.

From the crack of dawn, chants of "Jai Shri Ram" echoed across the city as visiting seers and pilgrims termed the hoisting of the temple flag -- a sacred ceremony called "Dhwaj Arohan" -- one of historic fulfilment.

Swami Narottamanand Giri, who arrived from Dalmau in Rae Bareli, said, "It is a day of immense fortune. This moment has come after great 'tapasya', and participating in the 'dhwaj arohan' is a matter of deep blessing."  Ninety-five-year-old seer Devendranand Giri, who has witnessed the temple movement since its early days, said he never imagined he would see this moment in his lifetime.

"At this age, watching the temple stand completed gives me unparalleled joy," he told PTI Videos.

Gopal Rao, a special invitee to the Ram Mandir Trust, said the ceremony will be conducted by Prime Minister Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

"The rituals are complete. The prime minister will enter the premises at 10 am and stay till around 1.30 pm. 'Darshan', 'pooja', 'dhwaj arohan' and an address will all take place during this period," he said.

Rao added that depending on the timing of the programme, darshan for the public may resume from Tuesday evening, "otherwise, devotees will certainly get darshan from Wednesday".

Among those who arrived early was an elderly devotee.

"This moment has come after 500 years. Our ancestors waited and sacrificed for this day. We are blessed to witness it," he said.

Another pilgrim expressed similar sentiment, calling the occasion "a blessing made possible by the sacrifices of generations".

Inside the temple, the priests have been conducting rituals for the last four days.

Priest Bajrang Pandey said the concluding phase of the 'yagya' was underway.

"From 7 am to 9 am, the remaining 'ahutis' are being offered. After the prime minister's programme, the 'yagya' will resume. Scholars from across the country -- Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra -- are present along with and local Vedic experts," Pandey said.

The city remained under a heavy security blanket, with extensive checking of incoming vehicles and questioning of passengers at all entry points.

According to officials, 6,970 personnel, including ATS commandos, NSG snipers, cyber experts and specialised technical teams, have been deployed in the temple town. Anti-drone systems and advanced surveillance technology are active in and around the temple complex.

Senior officers are supervising crowd management, security screening, explosives detection and emergency response systems, while bomb squads, dog squads, VVIP protection units, fire personnel and rapid response teams are stationed at key points.

Prime Minister Modi will hoist a right-angled triangular saffron flag, 10 feet high and 20 feet long, bearing the image of a radiant Sun symbolising Lord Ram's valour, an 'Om', and the Kovidara tree.

The flag will rise atop a 'shikhar' built in the traditional Nagara architectural style.

The ceremony is taking place on the auspicious Panchami of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Margashirsha, coinciding with the Abhijit Muhurat of Shri Ram and Mata Sita's Vivah Panchami, a day signifying divine union, the prime minister's office said in a statement on Monday.

The date also marks the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, who meditated in Ayodhya for 48 hours in the 17th century, it said.

During his visit, the prime minister will also offer prayers at the Ram Darbar Garbh Grah and the Ram Lalla Garbh Grah, and visit the Saptmandir, Sheshavtar Mandir and the Mata Annapurna temple.

The temple complex features 87 carved stone episodes from the Valmiki Ramayana on the outer walls of the shrine and 79 bronze-cast depictions from Indian culture along the enclosure walls.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an on-site review on Monday, issuing necessary instructions to ensure seamless arrangements for the ceremony.