Ram Lalla’s ‘Pran Pratishtha’: Feels like living in ‘divya’ Ayodhya, say residents

By Arunav Sinha and Gunjan Sharma

AYODHYA (UP),

AS A festive spirit prevailed in Ayodhya, there was an emotional outpouring among residents of the holy city as the consecration of the new idol of Ram Lalla was held on Monday and said they indeed feel they are living in a ‘divya’ (divine) Ayodhya, ‘navya’ (new) Ayodhya and ‘bhavya’ (grand) Ayodhya. Krishnanath Singh, a school teacher and a regular morning walker to the Ram temple, said the temple is three kilometres from his house. “Now our Ayodhya has become a ‘divya’ Ayodhya, ‘navya’ Ayodhya and a ‘bhavya’ Ayodhya,” Singh told PTI, as his voice choked with emotions.

Controlling the sudden outpour of emotions, he said, “This is a historic day for each and every resident of not only Ayodhya or Uttar Pradesh but also for the entire country as our Ram Lalla has got the rightful place which he deserves. The day is very special for me, as personally I had seen the struggle of the karsevaks from a very close quarter.” “The karsevaks from Andhra Pradesh and Nagpur used to reach from Ayodhya to Mirzapur through our village in Ambedkar Nagar district. Our job was to ensure that none of the karsevaks went hungry. As I recall the scenes of the 1990s and witness today’s event, I feel relieved that the efforts put by my family have finally yielded positive results,” said Singh, who was near the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk.

Expressing happiness over the consecration ceremony, Yashvendra Pratap Singh, a resident of Khajurhat area of Ayodhya told PTI, “There is immense happiness among the people, as they feel that their ‘tapasya’ (penance) for Ram temple at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya has given pleasant and wonderful results.” “In the morning, the Shiva temple in the area was cleaned and a number of events like recitation of Sundar Kand followed by ‘prasaad’ distribution were lined up for the day,” he said, and added that the entire area is soaked in devotion to Lord Ram. Shailesh Singh, a resident of Balapakauli, said, “All of us are feeling very good and a sense of pride is evident. As a resident of Ayodhya, for a long time we wanted a grand and divine temple of Lord Ram to be built. We have also become a part of it now. As a resident of the temple town of Ayodhya, we are ready to welcome guests from far and wide to our city,” he said.