The idol of Raja Ram was consecrated and the Ram Darbar inaugurated at the Ram Jamnabhoomi complex on Thursday, June 5, a major step towards completion of a grand temple that has been at the intersection of political and religious discourse for three decades.
The city was festooned and lit up as priests gathered at the first floor of the Ram temple to install the almost five-feet white marbled statue of Raja Ram, the god in his royal form, amid the chanting of hymns and elaborate rituals.
The Ram Darbar also features the idols of Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughn and Hanuman. The day, chosen to coincide with the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, comes 16 months after the consecration of Ram Lalla, the child god, on January 22, 2024.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the top government brass and a host of celebrities were present at the high octane occasion then, the event this time was quieter.