Heralding ‘Ram Rashtra’: My Eye Witness Account of Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya

I am writing this from Karnavati (Ahmedabad) after attending the Pran Pratistha ceremony of Bhagwan Ram Lalla at the newly constructed temple in Ayodhya. I attended the historic event as a representative of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. 

Here’s a little background on my participation. Because of the large number of dignitaries invited for this momentous occasion, the Pran Pratistha committee had to restrict invitations to volunteers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh from countries outside of Bharat. Yet, it was important that these countries be represented as they all had contributed in one way or another to the struggle to liberate Ram Janmabhoomi. 

So, it was decided that one member from each of the 53 countries where Vishwa Hindu Parishad and/or Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh operate would be invited. I was selected to represent the U.S., as I have been associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from its inception in 1984. Though 25 people from VHP of America, primarily members of its governing council, were later allowed to participate as an exception, I was part of a special delegation of representatives from 53 countries. 

There were 14 countries from Africa, 12 from Europe, eight from the Americas, 15 or so from countries East of Bharat, etc. From Botswana to Egypt, Kenya to Ghana, Finland to France, Hungary to the U.K., Canada to Suriname, and Vietnam to Australia, it was a genuine confluence of nationalities present. 

The delegates stayed in the same hotel and traveled by the same bus so there was a strong sense of affinity and the enthusiasm was contagious. All reached Lucknow by Jan. 20 evening as instructed. We were welcomed at the airport with chanting of Vedic mantras, and offering of a colorful piece of cloth known as “khesh.”

The Journey

We were bused to Ayodhya the next day, a distance of about 80 miles. On both sides of the highway, there were saffron flags with imprints of Bhagwan Ram and Hanumanji — at individual homes as well as businesses. There were hoardings by the dozen welcoming Ram Lalla as well as Modiji and Yogi Adityanathji. There was colorful lighting everywhere — from a small roadside dhaba to big corporate offices. As we entered Ayodhya’s outskirts, we noticed trees that were lighted, railings on the side of highways decorated with strings of marigold flowers, and bridges ablaze with chains of lights. 

Five-star hotels had full-size cutouts of Bhagwan Ram at the door and inside. Instead of pop music elevator songs, they were playing bhajans extolling Shree Ramchandraji’s virtues. Doormen and hotel staff greeted you with “Jay Siyaram.” Newspapers were full of color supplements giving all the details of preparation to welcome Ram Lalla back after 495 years, as well as of how communities were gearing up for the grand celebration. Every ounce of Ayodhya had become Ram-Maya, that is, immersed in Shree Ram. I was reminded of a couplet from Sant Tulsidas’s Ram Charit Manas — सिय राम मय सब जग जानी, करहु प्रणाम जोरी जुग पानी ॥ (I see the whole world as immersed in Sita and Ram, I offer them salutation with folded hands.)

We were bused on Jan. 22 morning to the entrance gate about one mile from the temple. From there on, we walked with spring in our feet and unexplainable excitement in our hearts. There were wide walkways with walls with nice carvings. There were innumerable number of helpful staff dressed in blue jackets, mostly young ladies. They all knew that they wouldn’t be attending the event, though being so close to it they were carrying out their duty with a smile on their lips. We must have passed through five or six checkpoints, then through a metal detector and physical frisking. We were allowed to carry our mobile phones but nothing else. Volunteers applied sandalwood paste on our foreheads and adorned us with a beautiful “khesh” with the painting of Shri Ram with his bow and arrow. 

The Temple

Finally, we arrived at the temple compound and our heads automatically bowed when we saw the magnificent structure which was decorated with flowers. While proceeding further I saw Sadhwi Uma Bharati being escorted and I remembered hey days of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the early 90s, when she played a very important role in awakening Hindus. I remembered how she shaved of her long hair to sneak into Ayodhya incognito when then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav had boasted that not a sparrow would be able to enter Ayodhya to perform Karseva (volunteer work at the Ram Janmabhoomi.) I also spotted Pujya Morari Bapu surrounded by an entourage.

The seating arrangement was divided into 30 blocks and everyone was preassigned the block numbers. Before getting there we had to remove our footwear and deposit them with volunteers at several tents, named Charan Paduka. Everything was seamless and volunteers wouldn’t allow us to remove our footwear by ourselves but took pride in removing them. I felt so embarrassed and when I said thank you, they instead thanked me for giving them an opportunity to serve. Their humility reminded me of Kevat (boatman) who took Bhagwan Ram across the Saryu River after washing his feet. 

Since there was about an hour and a half wait for Modiji’s arrival, we got a chance to mingle. I was seated next to Faiz Khan, who was from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, and a leader of the Gau Rakshak movement. I had a productive talk with him.

There were about 6,000 attendees but everything worked like a clockwork. Later during the program boxed lunch was also served. The distribution and removal of used boxes was a case study in itself. These were all volunteers of RSS who are known for selfless seva and discipline. 

I saw several Bollywood celebrities including Vivek Oberoi and Shefali Vaidya — a strong and firebrand Hindu warrior who also appears in TV debates and is an exceptional writer. I also met  Dr. Pravinbhai Togadiya with whom I had worked at the height of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. I paid my respects. Though he is now estranged from the VHP, his contribution to the movement comes only second to the late Ashok Singhalji, the organization’s international working president. He led the Ram Janmabhoomi liberation movement, stayed focused on the ultimate goal, and didn’t give in to pressure or compromise. He enthused thousands of people to take up the cause and till his death in 2015, he lived every moment to see Ram Lalla seated in his rightful home. 

We were enthralled by devotional singing by Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Paudwal, and her daughter Kavita Tulpule and Shankar Mahadevan. 

I will not dwell on the description of the program as everyone has watched it on TV and read about it. But one of the highlights was the profuse showering of rose petals on the delegates and the temple by two military helicopters just around the time of Pran Pratishtha. Many of us including me collected the petals as a souvenir and prasad to share with folks at home.

Ram Rajya

Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi, Govind Giriji who introduced Modiji and param pujya Sarsanghchalak of RSS, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, all spoke very well. They all gave points to ponder. If we do not understand the deep meaning of what they have said, we will not be able to bring Ram Rajya. Adityanathji had a message to those who had doubted the construction of the temple. “The temple is built,” he said, and “it is built where it was supposed to be built. After 500 years of struggle we have achieved what we wanted, we never gave up. People rose above differences of caste and sects to face hurdles. Now there will be no sound of bullets in the streets of Ayodhya; there will be the sound of bhajans.” In his address, Bhagwat urged the attendees “to work for raising a new, inclusive Bharat.” 

It is hard to encapsulate so many things Modiji said, but a few have been etched in our collective consciousness. These are: “Ram is not conflict but resolution, this time is not only for Vijay but also Vinay, Ram is not fire, Ram is energy, Ram is not Vivad, Ram is Samvad and finally most critical is from Dev to Desh and Ram to Rashtra.”

Modiji spoke for about 45 minutes. Like many others, I have listened to him several times and every time there is something new, something out of the box. However, his speech today came from the inner recesses of a highly spiritual being. When he told the attendees that he was “still feeling the vibrations of the experience of performing the puja for Pran Pratishtha,” I got goosebumps. If those of us watching the ceremony on a screen felt overwhelmed, then I wondered what kind of divine vibration Modiji, who was an instrument in the process of unveiling divine consciousness in the murti of Ram Lalla, would have been feeling.

It is hard to encapsulate so many things Modiji said, but a few have been etched in our collective consciousness. These are: “Ram is not conflict but resolution, this time is not only for Vijay but also Vinay, Ram is not fire, Ram is energy, Ram is not Vivad, Ram is Samvad and finally most critical is from Dev to Desh and Ram to Rashtra.” 

Each one of these requires deep introspection. If we as a society follow it in letter and spirit, Ram Rajya is not too far. However, if we fall back into old habits, Ram Rajya will remain only a distant dream.

Reflections

As I was reflecting on what I had read and heard that the temple is built to last one thousand years, I realized that the Hindu society has a large responsibility on its head now. In the past temples didn’t crumble and became a heap of stones and bricks, they were demolished on purpose by invaders. If we want to see this magnificent temple not meet the same fate, we all will have to take a pledge today to expose and defeat anti-Hindu forces at every level and every time. We will have to be relentless and strategic. In a democracy numbers count, therefore we have to make sure that the government passes the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and that it makes government schemes unavailable to those who have more children. And, we have to increase the voting percentage. When we do all these things, our Ram Mandir will last one thousand years.

After Modiji left, plans were to call delegates block by block. This would have ensured quick darshan for all but that was not to be. Old habits die hard. This was supposed to be an elite assemblage. But they betrayed trust in them and everyone rushed to be the first. Of course, they stood in line but at times there was a push from behind, and some people formed their own lines. Of course, a strong security cordon didn’t allow people to go near even temple steps. There was a constant request on the PA system for people to sit in chairs and wait for 30 to 45 minutes, that there were already a thousand people in Nritya Mandapm and sanctum sanctorum but it had little effect. 

We decided to wait it out. Finally, after waiting in line for two and a half hours, we got our turn. I could just get a glimpse of intricate carvings and sculptures as we were constantly asked to keep moving. It is a glorious temple of which we all can be proud. I would need to go back there soon when there would be no rush. We had barely a few seconds to do darshan and experience the blessings of Shree Ram before we were literarily pushed out by the security. Those who watched it on television would have had a better darshan! 

Later on, we went to a tent where they were distributing prasad in a jute bag. It was another fast and efficient operation. We took in the darshan of Hanumanji at the famous Hanumangarhi. 

Darkness had descended and the air was getting chilly as we waited to return to the hotel.

It took a few hours to get to our bus which couldn’t cross the bridge because of traffic regulations imposed that day. Though we are extremely tired by physical exertion as well as emotional A magnificent thing has happened, a struggle of 495 years in which I was an active participant from 1984 to 2007 has come to an end. 

The delay was a blessing in disguise as we saw people dancing in the streets, waving flags, playing Ram bhajans, and breaking into incessant chants praising Ram. Every home and every commercial place had lit innumerable diyas, more than a Diwali celebration, and then there were firecrackers booming in every direction. That joy can’t be described, it can only be felt.

As we rejoice on the once-in-a-lifetime event such as Pran Pratishtha, let us keep in mind all the warriors, known and unknown upon whose tireless efforts and sacrifices the edifice that we call Shri Ram Mandir is built. 

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, सर्वे सन्तु निरामया

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु, मा कश्चिद दुःख आप्नुयात॥

Jai Shri Ram!

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Gaurang Vaishvav of Tampa, Florida, is a member of the VHP of America Advisory Board, and executive vice president of Global Indians for Bharat Vikas.