Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ceremonially raised a saffron flag over the newly built Ram temple in Ayodhya, an act officials described as marking the temple’s formal completion.
He carried out the ritual in the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The ceremony was timed to coincide with the Abhijit Muhurat, regarded in Hindu tradition as an especially auspicious period.
Temple representatives explained that the right-angled triangular flag which was 10 feet by 20 feet and decorated with a radiant Sun, the ‘Om’ symbol and the Kovidara tree, was designed to convey themes of spiritual power and devotion. The saffron colour, they noted, is associated with fire, sacrifice, and the rising sun, TNIE reported.
Champat Rai, who serves as general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said the Dhwajarohan ceremony represented the concluding milestone of the temple’s construction phase.
Ahead of the event, Modi travelled in a roadshow from the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport to the temple. Residents and devotees—many of them women and young people—lined the route, showering petals as his convoy passed under tight security. Some waved the national flag, while others carried BJP flags bearing the lotus symbol.
Upon reaching the venue, Governor Patel and Chief Minister Adityanath received the Prime Minister. Adityanath later wrote on X that Ayodhya was considered “the foremost of the seven sacred cities” and publicly welcomed Modi.
Before the main programme, the Prime Minister offered prayers at the Sapt Mandir inside the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir complex. On Facebook, he mentioned that he had arrived in Ayodhya to participate in the Dhwajarohan Utsav at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.