# Consecration of the Ram Mandir

The Prana pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the Ram Mandir (ISO: Rāma Maṁdira Prāṇa Pratiṣṭhā) was held on 22 January 2024, in a traditional sacred ceremony, wherein priests recited mantras invoking the God Rama. The Prana Pratishtha ceremony, that is considered to bring a presence of divinity, is an essential ritual before the inauguration of a Hindu temple. The ceremony involved the pran pratishtha of the primary temple deity, Ram Lalla (childhood form of Rama), also known as Balak Ram, and subsequent opening of the temple for visitors.
The temple stands in the ancient city of Ayodhya, which has also been a disputed site of the 16th-century Babri mosque which was destroyed in 1992. The event was organized by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

## Background and preparations

On 22 June 2023, Temple Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Misra announced that the ground floor of the three-story temple was complete and was expected to open for the devotees in January 2024. The Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust announced that Hindu astrologers, according to Hindu Panchang, have selected 22 January 2024 as the auspicious date for the consecration ceremony. In October 2023, the committee members formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the Prana Pratishtha of the newly made idol in the sanctum sanctorum.
The trust along with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and city administration carried out extensive preparations to accommodate the large crowds of devotees and the influx of invited guests from all over the world. The Government of Uttar Pradesh announced public holiday in the state and applied strict security measures in and around the temple premises. The security in Ayodhya was increased due to the movement of VIPs. The Government of India along with some state governments declared a half day holiday marking the event for its employees.

### Ramotsav

In preparation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has earmarked ₹100 crore (US$13 million) for 'Ramotsav', a series of religious events spanning 826 local bodies across Uttar Pradesh and the Ram Paduka Yatra. Commencing in December 2023, the events will culminate in grand celebrations from Makar Sankranti on 16 January 2024, until the inauguration of the Ram temple on 22 January. The yatra will follow the Ram Van Gaman Path, retracing Rama's 14-year exile from Ayodhya.

### Public holiday on the day

The Government of India has declared a half day holiday for this event for its employees. Several states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Maharashtra, Assam, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jharkhand, and Gujarat had declared a public holiday for prana pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir on 22 January.

## Consecration
### The Idol

Out of the three idols prepared, the one prepared by sculptor Arun Yogiraj was selected to be placed in the sacred sanctum sanctorum. After consecration, the deity shall be referred as Bālak Rām.

### Consecration ceremony

The consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir was completed by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi on 22 January 2024 from 12:15 PM to 12:45 PM IST.
The trust invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to perform the rituals. Modi was on a special 11-day fast ritual for the consecration at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. During this ritual, he consumed coconut water and fruits and slept on the ground at night.
Prime Minister Modi urged every Indian to light up diyas to mark the occasion and celebrate it like Diwali.

### Attendees

The ceremony saw attendance of people from all fields including actors, politicians, bureaucrats, businesspeople, spiritual leaders, athletes, etc. The famous Ramayan TV series actors Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri also participated in the event.

## Address of dignitaries

The gathering of distinguished invitees was addressed by Chief Minister Adityanath, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Prime Minister Modi. Each address, while distinct in its tone and focus, harmonized to create a powerful tapestry of faith, unity, and responsibility. Modi evoked a sense of historical significance, weaving references to ancient texts and past struggles with the present moment of triumph. He spoke of Ram as a symbol of righteousness and unity.
Beyond the religious significance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the temple's role in shaping a new India, one based on social harmony, economic prosperity, and scientific progress. He urged citizens to draw inspiration from Ram's ideals to build a strong and vibrant nation.
While Yogi Adityanath's address was steeped in religious fervor, celebrating the Ram Mandir as a victory for faith and perseverance. He praised the devotion of millions who contributed to the temple's construction and acknowledged the divine blessings that guided the process.
RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat spoke of the Ram Mandir as a symbol of national pride, marking the revival of India's cultural heritage. He emphasized the importance of preserving ancient traditions and values in a rapidly modernizing world.

## Media coverage
### Coverage by international media

International coverage of the event emphasised it as a public spectacle commemorating the victory of Modi's Hindu nationalism over secularism & Gandhi's composite nationalism. In sharp contrast to national media, international news outlets covered the event in a negative manner, heavily overemphasising the fact that the temple was built over a mosque that was "illegally demolished". India's Muslim population was emphatically portrayed as victims & Hindus were villified as aggressors, dismissing the complex Hindu-Muslim interactions, history of persecution of Hindus under Islamic rule, the history of Muslims converting non-Muslim places of worship into mosques, religious violence in the region, the polarising nature of the dispute surrounding the site & the court litigation over it. The BBC, often criticised for promoting anti-Indian sentiments alongside pro-Muslim & pro-Pakistani stance, portrayed the events exclusively through the eyes of the Muslim residents of Ayodhya, for which it was slammed by Conservative MP Bob Blackman. Qatar based news agency Al Jazeera described it as 'one of modern India's darkest chapters'. The Chinese Xinhua News Agency took a neutral stance over the issue. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad characterised the coverage of the event by Western outlets (from whom other global outlets picked up directly) as "misleading", "biased" & "irresponsible journalism". The Diplomat compared the event with that of the mass outpouring of Catholics to witness the 1917 miracle of the Lady of Fatima & the possible scale of celebration in the entire Eastern Orthodox Church in case of a hypothetical restoration of the Hagia Sophia as a church under the Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople, which (according to the commentator) is "difficult for the Western secular mind to comprehend". The fact that the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram mandir was held (on 5th August 2020) a few days after the Hagia Sophia was reconverted back into a mosque (on 24th July 2020) saw global media draw comparisons between India under Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party & Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party.