Ram Mandir Inauguration

Ram Lalla’s ‘Pran Pratishtha’ at the temple was done on January 22 at 12:15 and 12:45 and marked the impending opening of Ram mandir in Ayodhya. On Monday, January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to attend the much-awaited ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event, the inauguration of the Rama temple at Ayodhya, the temple town in Uttar Pradesh. Tens of thousands of devotees gathered at Ayodhya, crowded trains, blocked roads, and marched on foot waving flags, honking horns, and beating drums. It has been anticipated that over 7,000 guests politicians, businesspeople, public figures, and athletes have attended the “Pran Pratishtha” event, which was scheduled at 12:20 pm (Business Standard 2024a).

(Source: NDTV 2024)

History and Controversy of Ram Mandir

The 50-meter-tall temple dedicated to Lord Ram Lalla was constructed on the site of the Babri Masjid, which was damaged in 1992 by Karsevaks under the leadership of Lal Krishna Advani, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the time (HindustanTimes 2024).

Ayodhya is a unique pilgrimage site since it is said to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, the Hindu god of morality and dharma. For millions of believers, the sacred region of Ram Janmabhoomi—where Lord Rama was born—has a special place in their hearts. Situated on this sacred site, the Ayodhya Ram Temple is not just a house of worship but also a manifestation of divine presence. Pilgrims from all over the world come to Ayodhya in search of comfort and spiritual contact with the esteemed Lord Rama (Sandy and Vijay 2024).

Mir Baqi built the Babri Mosque in 1529. The legal dispute started in 1885 when Mahant Raghubir Das filed the first lawsuit in the case, attempting to construct a temple on the property next to the mosque. He is denied permission by the District Magistrate (DM) of Faizabad. Mahant Raghubir Das then files a title claim against the Secretary of State for India in the Faizabad Court, requesting approval to construct a temple within the Babri mosque’s courtyard, or chabutra. The court in Faizabad dismisses his plea. On the evening of December 22, 1949, following Ram Idol’s appearance inside the mosque, the government shut the door and designated the location as a “contested area.” In 1950, Gopal Simla Viharad and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das filed two cases in the Faizabad Court, requesting permission to perform Hindu pujas for Ram Lalla (Prasoon, 2018).

In 1959, Nirmohi Akhara launched a third lawsuit to claim ownership of the land. In 1961, the UP Sunni Wakf Board launched a lawsuit to reclaim the site of the Babri Mosque. A committee was established in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to launch the Ram Janmbhoomi Movement. The campaign is being led by BJP leader LK Advani. On February 1, 1986, a third party, lawyer UC Pandey, filed an appeal with the Faizabad Session Court requesting that the gates be opened.

The District Judge then issued an order removing the locks to permit Hindu “pooja and darshan. “In 1989, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi gave the VHP permission to conduct Shilanayas, and the Allahabad High Court took over all title disputes. On September 25, 1990, LK Advani began the Rath Yatra from Somnath, Gujarat, to Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. On December 6, 1992, a violent Karsevak crowd destroyed the Babri Mosque (Prasoon, 2018).

A commission headed by retired High Court Justice M. S. Liberhan is constituted by the PM ten days after the mosque was destroyed to investigate the events that followed the Babri Mosque’s destruction and the ensuing communal unrest. An order is issued by the Narsimha Rao Government to purchase 67.7 acres of land (Site and adjoining areas). In order to make it easier for the central government to acquire land, the Acquisition of Certain Areas at Ayodhya Act, 1993 was later put into law. Ismail Faruqui maintained the Acquisition of Certain Areas at Ayodhya Act’s legality in 1994, but no review was submitted (India TV 2024).

The Ayodhya Title Dispute lawsuit started in 2002, and the Allahabad High Court gave the Archaeological Survey of India permission to start digging the area under the disputed site in 2003. It says it has discovered ruins of a Hindu temple from the tenth century. Muslims contest the findings from ASI. On June 30, 2009, the Liberhan Commission report was finally submitted, 17 years later. According to the September 30, 2010, ruling of the Lucknow Bench of the High Court, the Muslim and Hindu claimants shared a 2:1 portion of the contested property in Ayodhya (India TV 2024).

A group of petitions submitted by all parties were accepted by the SC in 2011. “Strange” is how a Division Bench made up of Justices Aftam Alam and R.M. Lodha describe the High Court’s ruling. According to RM Lodha, “a fresh dimension has been given by the High Court as the parties did not seek the decision of division.” Nobody asked for it in prayer. It must be maintained. It’s an odd arrangement. When none of the parties had prayed for the division, how could a decision for its division be passed? The petitioners contend in 2018 that the SC should send the 1994 Ismail Faruqui ruling back to a seven-judge bench for additional scrutiny (India TV 2024).

The Supreme Court of India announced its decision in the Ayodhya dispute on November 9, 2019. The Supreme Court mandated that the 2.77 acres of contested property be given to a trust that the Indian government would establish in order to construct the temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Rama, known as Ram Janmabhoomi. In addition, the court mandated that the government provide the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board with an additional 5 acres of land in a different location so that they might construct a mosque there in position of the destroyed Babri Masjid.

Cost & Development

The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is in charge of the temple’s construction, originally estimated that it would cost Rs. 1,800 crore. This estimate takes into account a number of different things, including labour, machinery, materials, building costs, and other administrative charges. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the foundation stone on August 5, 2020, work on the Ram temple started. Following the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in 2019, the Hindu side was granted the disputed 2.77-acre site in the town of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, for the construction of a temple. This decision marked the beginning of the temple construction process (Business Standard 2024b).

Architectural Marvel

The Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir, often called the Ram temple, was built in the customary Nagara manner. Its dimensions are 250 feet broad, 161 feet tall, and 380 feet long (east to west). It is supported altogether by 392 pillars and has 44 entrances. Beautifully carved images of Hindu gods and goddesses decorate the temple’s walls and pillars. The idol of Ram Lalla is located in the main sanctum sanctorum on the ground level of the Ram temple. In order to host the “Pran Pratishtha” of the new 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla, fourteen couples from different regions of the nation will serve as the “Yajmaans.”Arun Yogiraj, a native of Mysuru, sculpted the statue, which was placed in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum on Thursday. Special lighting and “rich stocks” of flowers have been used to adorn the Ram mandir (HindustanTimes 2024).

(Source: Next IAS 2024)

The primary architect of Ram Mandir is Chandrakant Sompura. Sompura is the fifteenth generation of a family of temple architects that originated in Ahmedabad. He just revealed that he had been working on the project for thirty years. The Sompura family of Ahmedabad came up with the initial concept in 1988. The Sompuras have designed over 100 temples worldwide, including the Somnath temple, for at least 15 generations. Arun Yogiraj, a renowned Karnataka sculptor, created the idol of Ram Lalla. Champat Rai, general secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, stated that the development design was negotiated more than 15 years ago with Larsen & Toubro (L&T). The temple’s construction was guaranteed by the building company (Business Standard 2024b).

(Source: Next IAS 2024)

Effect on India

The Ram temple’s construction has had a significant impact on Ayodhya’s economy. The city was formerly well-known for its coaching centres, but in only one year, tourism went from 2.25 lakh to 2.25 crore, and land values have since risen (The Economic Times 2024).

As a result of over $10 billion in investments in townships, new airports, renovated railroad stations, and better highways, the city is anticipated to draw between 50 million and 10 million visitors annually, per Jefferies research. Considered India’s equivalent of Mecca and the Vatican City, Ram Mandir is located in Ayodhya. India’s tourism industry is anchored on religious tourism, which is expected to grow at an 8% CAGR to reach $443 billion by FY33 (Shivangini, 2024).

(Source: India Today)

The anticipated cost of building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is USD 225 million, which will be covered by contributions and grants. Increased pilgrimage to the city is anticipated, reaching 100,000–150,000 each day. But India’s tourist industry still has a long way to go. Approximately 6.8% of India’s GDP comes from tourism. According to the research, India’s economy is ranked lower than that of the majority of developed and rising nations. In a larger picture, the tourist industry received ₹2400 crore in the Union Budget of India for 2023–2024. The additional motivator was the federal government’s introduction of programs like the Adarsh Smarak Scheme, PRASHAD Scheme, and Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which actively promote integrated development, pilgrimage destinations, and monument revival (Shivangini, 2024).

The overall infrastructure’s impressive expansion is positive as it catalyzes the expected spike in tourism. Any market where such a big volume of travel is anticipated would require high-quality lodging across all price points. In addition to hotels, the federal and state governments have launched large-scale infrastructure development projects. The Ayodhya Master Plan 2031 is for the implementation of projects valued at INR85,000 crore to modernise the town’s infrastructure. A redesigned railway junction and a new international airport have already been announced by the government (Dutta, 2024).

Dry Day & Holiday

In observance of the Ram Temple’s dedication event in Ayodhya on January 22, a number of states have proclaimed public holidays or granted government personnel a half-day off. In addition to the Central government offices remained closed until 2:30 p.m., a number of States have declared January 22 to be a “dry day.” On January 22, the NSE and BSE stock exchanges has observed a trade holiday (The Hindu 2024).

The sale of alcohol, meat, and fish has been prohibited in many states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam, in observance of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event on January 22 in Ayodhya. Many states and union territories, such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Tripura, Goa, Odisha, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chandigarh, and Puducherry, have declared the day as “Dry Day” (Business Today 2024).

Schedule Highlights

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has scheduled to arrive at Ayodhya at 10:25 a.m. Modi arrived at the location by helicopter from the Ayodhya airport.
• Modi has arrived at the Ram temple grounds at 10:55 a.m.
• The prime minister visited the Ram Mandir grounds between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.
• The “Pran Pratishtha” event started at 1pm, with Modi presiding over the proceedings between 12:05 and 1pm.
• Modi has left the temple grounds at 1:00 pm to speak to a crowd of about 7,000 people in the public.
• Modi scheduled to visit Kuber ka Tila at 2:10 p.m., where the rebuilt old Bhagwan Shiv temple is located.
• The public can get “darshan” at the Ram temple starting on January 23.

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References

1. Business Standard, (2024). “Ayodhya Ram mandir: Full schedule of temple pran pratishtha ceremony today”. https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/ayodhya-ram-mandir-full-schedule-of-temple-pran-pratishtha-ceremony-today-124012200113_1.html#:~:text=Pran%20pratishtha%20ceremony%20at%20Ayodhya,Pradesh%20on%20Monday%2C%20January%2022
2. Business Standard, (2024). “Ayodhya Ram mandir: History, controversy, inauguration, attendees, and more”. https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/ayodhya-ram-mandir-history-controversy-inauguration-attendees-and-more-124012100062_1.html
3. Business Today, (2024). “Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration: List of states that have declared a dry day on Jan 22”. https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/story/ayodhya-ram-mandir-consecration-list-of-states-that-have-declared-a-dry-day-on-jan-22-414303-2024-01-21
4. Dutta, A., (2024). “Ayodhya: How the Ram Mandir construction is fuelling an economic boom”. Business Today. https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/the-buzz/story/ayodhya-how-the-ram-mandir-construction-is-fuelling-an-economic-boom-414120-2024-01-19
5. HindustanTimes, (2024). “Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration: Full schedule of temple ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony today”. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ayodhya-ram-mandir-inauguration-full-schedule-of-temple-pran-pratishtha-ceremony-today-101705886059105.html
6. India Today, (2024). “Exclusive pics from Ram temple, leaders, actors, sportspersons, industrialists gather”. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/photo/ram-temple-2491861-2024-01-22/1
7. India TV, (2024). “Ram Mandir History: A timeline of devotion and struggle leading up to ‘Pran Pratishtha’ in Ayodhya”. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/ayodhya-ram-mandir-history-story-behind-ram-temple-and-when-was-is-destroyed-a-timeline-from-1528-to-2024-babri-masjid-to-pran-pratishtha-updates-2024-01-21-912883
8. NDTV, (2024). “New Home For Lord Ram: PM Modi Leads Rituals At Grand Ayodhya Temple”. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ayodhya-ram-temple-ram-temple-ram-temple-opening-pm-to-attend-mega-ram-temple-inauguration-in-ayodhya-today-10-points-4907766
9. Next IAS, (2024). “Ram Mandir: Important Facts, Architectural Aspects, Significance & Other Aspects”. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextias.com%2Fblog%2Fayodhya-ram-mandir%2F&psig=AOvVaw3uHzqBckYbWKG90MEqKwDg&ust=1706032969501000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjhxqFwoTCIiY36DK8YMDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAf
10. Prasoon, S., (2024). “Timeline: Key Events in the Babri Masjid – Ram Mandir Controversy”. SCObserver. https://www.scobserver.in/journal/timeline-key-events-in-the-babri-masjid-ram-mandir-controversy/
11. Sandy and Vijay, (2024). “500 yrs Great Ayodhya Ram Mandir History – Where Is Ayodhya”. Voyager. https://imvoyager.com/ayodhya-ram-mandir-history-where-is-ayodhya/?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fullarticle
12. Shivangini, (2024). “Ram Mandir: Ayodhya to join Mecca, Vatican City as global pilgrim destinations after $10-billion makeover: Jefferies”. Livemint. https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ram-mandir-ayodhya-to-join-mecca-vatican-city-as-global-pilgrim-destinations-after-10-billion-makeover-jefferies-11705887181734.html
13. The Economic Times, (2024). “From spiritual centre to economic hub: Ayodhya’s rise after Ram Mandir construction” https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/from-spiritual-centre-to-economic-hub-ayodhyas-rise-after-ram-mandir-construction/videoshow/107007129.cms?from=mdr
14. The Hindu, (2024). “Ram Temple consecration | Here are the States that have declared a holiday on January 22”. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ram-temple-consecration-here-are-the-states-that-have-declared-a-holiday-on-january-22/article67758824.ece#:~:text=To%20commemorate%20the%20upcoming%20consecration,as%20a%20’dry%20day’

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