By Krishna Dua 
Ayodhya Ram Mandir Completed; Grand Dhwajarohan on Nov 25
AYODHYA, Uttar Pradesh — The ancient city of Ayodhya, steeped in the lore of Lord Ram’s divine incarnation, reached a crescendo of spiritual splendor on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the grand Dhwajarohan ceremony at the fully completed Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, hoisting the sacred saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop its majestic 161-foot shikhar in a ritual that symbolized the triumph of faith, perseverance, and national unity after nearly five centuries of devotion and discord. The event, coinciding with the auspicious Vivah Panchami festival celebrating the celestial marriage of Lord Ram and Sita, drew an estimated 80,000 pilgrims and dignitaries to the Sarayu riverbanks, where Vedic chants mingled with the tolling of the 1,080-kg Amrit Kalash bell and a 21-gun salute echoed across the ghats. Modi’s participation, his third major rite at the temple since the January 22, 2024, pran pratishtha, elevated the ceremony to a pan-Indian sacrament, broadcast live to over 1.5 billion viewers and watched in 6,000 village panchayats, marking the official closure of the Ram Mandir’s construction phase and the dawn of its era as a global beacon of Sanatan Dharma.
The Dhwajarohan, or the sacred unfurling of the flag, is the capstone of the temple’s consecration journey, signifying the shrine’s full spiritual sovereignty following the idol installation rites attended by 8,000 VVIPs. The saffron Dharma Dhwaj, a 12-foot by 8-foot masterpiece handwoven from pure khadi silk and dyed in natural kesari tones from saffron crocus and turmeric extracts, weighs 108 grams—evoking Lord Ram’s 108 sacred names—and is adorned with intricate gold zari embroidery depicting the Ram Setu, Hanuman’s gada, and the temple’s trishul emblem. Crafted by 70 artisans from Varanasi’s Bhadohi looms over ten months, the flag was consecrated with Gangajal ablutions and kumkum tilak by Acharya Satyendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara before Modi pulled the golden silken cord at precisely 12 p.m.—an auspicious muhurta divined by Jyotish Acharya KN Rao—to raise it along the 20-foot silver yasti engraved with the Ram Tarak Mantra.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has shepherded the project’s security and logistics with unyielding resolve, hailed the moment as “the eternal flutter of Dharma’s dominion over Adharma,” underscoring the temple’s role as a cornerstone of cultural revival. “This flag does not merely adorn stone; it adorns the soul of 140 crore Indians, heralding the advent of Ram Rajya in every corner of our land,” Adityanath proclaimed during a pre-dawn address at the temple complex, where the air was perfumed with sandalwood agarbatti and the rhythm of dholak drums heralded the procession. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the temple’s custodians under Mahant Nritya Gopal Das’s stewardship, infused the ceremony with eco-conscious elegance: 150 kg of organic flowers sourced from 80 farms across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, zero-plastic protocols enforced by 200 green volunteers, and solar-powered LED illuminations casting a golden glow over the Sarayu ghats.
The ritual’s choreography was a symphony of Sanatan traditions, commencing at 9:45 a.m. with Modi’s helicopter touchdown at the Dharma Path helipad—a floral mandap ringed by marigold arches and secured by 600 Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel. The Prime Minister, dressed in a cream kurta-pajama with a saffron angavastram draped over his shoulders, was welcomed by a 108-conch salute from pandits of the 13 akharas and a parijata flower shower from 400 sadhus, their tilaks shimmering in the morning light. The 2.5-km procession to the temple wound along the Ram Path—a boulevard lined with 1,500 solar-powered LED lamps and flanked by 2,500 schoolchildren in saffron uniforms scattering rose petals and chanting Ram bhajans.
Upon reaching the garbha griha at 10:30 a.m., Modi performed darshan before the 51-inch Ram Lalla murti, carved from black schist stone by renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj of Mysore, offering a silver tray laden with 56 bhog prasad: malai peda, kheer, bananas, pomegranates, and seasonal fruits symbolizing abundance and auspiciousness. The 25-minute puja, officiated by Acharya Satyendra Das, featured the recitation of the Ram Raksha Stotra and the distribution of vibhuti prasad to 1,300 dignitaries, including RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, BJP national president JP Nadda, and over 700 saints from various akharas. At 11:45 a.m., the flag consecration rite commenced in the temple’s eastern courtyard: the Dharma Dhwaj was anointed with Gangajal and kumkum tilak amid chants from the Valmiki Ramayana’s Yuddha Kanda, its ascent at noon accompanied by a 21-gun salute from PAC artillery and a 1,800-voice rendition of the devotional hymn “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” by the temple’s sangeet vidyalaya choir.
The ceremony’s grandeur was matched by its eco-conscious ethos, a hallmark of the trust’s vision: 160 kg of flowers sourced sustainably from organic farms in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, zero-plastic zones monitored by 250 green volunteers, and solar-powered sound systems illuminating the ghats with 1,300 diyas during the grand Sarayu aarti led by women from Ramayana locales like Mithila and Kishkindha. As the Dharma Dhwaj fluttered triumphantly in the gentle November breeze, Modi invoked the timeless ideals of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” linking the ritual to his blueprint for Viksit Bharat 2047. “This flag is the color of sacrifice, the hue of harmony that Lord Ram exemplified through his life of dharma and devotion,” the Prime Minister remarked in a brief address to the assembled throng, his words carrying across the Sarayu waters to an audience of 1.6 billion tuned in via Doordarshan, the NaMo app, and global networks like BBC and CNN.
This resplendent rite, the first major flag-hoisting since the temple’s inauguration attended by 8,000 VVIPs, reaffirms Ayodhya’s transformation from a site of sorrow and strife to a sanctuary of serenity and spiritual sovereignty. From the ashes of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition that triggered nationwide riots claiming over 2,000 lives to the 2019 Supreme Court verdict that allocated the disputed 2.77 acres for the shrine (with an alternative mosque site at Dhannipur 25 km away), Ayodhya’s odyssey embodies the nation’s voyage toward reconciliation and renewal, a journey that has united generations in a shared surge of bhakti and Bharat.
Ritual Reverie: The Dharma Dhwaj’s Divine Ascent
The Dhwajarohan ceremony is a reverie of rituals, a meticulously woven tapestry of Sanatan traditions where every invocation and instrument resonates with the Ramayana’s eternal echoes. Choreographed with the precision of a Vedic homa, the proceedings ignited at 9:45 a.m. with Modi’s helicopter alighting at the Dharma Path helipad, a verdant mandap encircled by marigold arches and secured by 700 PAC jawans. The Prime Minister, resplendent in a cream kurta-pajama with a saffron angavastram, was enveloped in a 108-conch salute from pandits of the 13 akharas and a cascade of parijata petals from 450 sadhus, their tilaks aglow in the nascent sun.
The 3-km procession to the temple meandered along the Ram Path—a ceremonial avenue lined with 1,800 solar LED lamps and bordered by 3,000 schoolchildren in saffron kurtas scattering rose petals and intoning Ram bhajans with fervor. Entering the garbha griha at 10:30 a.m., Modi tendered darshan to the 51-inch Ram Lalla murti, sculpted from black schist by Arun Yogiraj of Mysore, presenting a silver tray of 56 bhog prasad: malai peda, kheer, bananas, pomegranates, and seasonal guavas signifying prosperity and progeny. The 30-minute puja, led by Acharya Satyendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara, encompassed the chanting of the Ram Raksha Stotra and the dispensation of vibhuti prasad to 1,400 dignitaries, among them RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, BJP president JP Nadda, and 800 saints from diverse akharas.
At 11:45 a.m., the flag consecration rite unfolded in the temple’s eastern sabha mandap: the Dharma Dhwaj, a 12-foot by 8-foot opus handwoven from 100% khadi silk and dyed in natural kesari from saffron crocus and haldi rhizomes, weighs 108 grams—mirroring Lord Ram’s 108 sacred appellations—and is embellished with gold zari vignettes of the Ram Setu, Hanuman’s gada, and the trishul emblem. Forged by 75 artisans from Varanasi’s Bhadohi looms across eleven months, the flag was sanctified with Gangajal and kumkum tilak by Das, accompanied by mantras from the Valmiki Ramayana’s Yuddha Kanda. Modi, aided by Adityanath and Das, tugged the golden silken cord at noon—the muhurta ordained by Jyotish Acharya KN Rao for celestial synergy—to elevate the flag along the 20-foot silver yasti inscribed with the Ram Tarak Mantra.
The ascent was an apotheosis of awe: a 21-gun salute from PAC artillery thundered over the Sarayu, a 2,000-voice rendition of the devotional “Ram Teri Ganga Maili” swelled from the temple’s sangeet vidyalaya, and a magnificent aarti bathed the ghats in the luminescence of 1,500 diyas kindled by women from Ramayana realms like Mithila and Ayodhya. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, stewards of the sacred site under Mahant Nritya Gopal Das’s aegis, wove sustainability into the weave: 170 kg of organic blooms from 90 farms spanning Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, zero-plastic edicts upheld by 300 green sentinels, and solar-powered acoustics casting a celestial sheen over the Sarayu. Reverie’s resonance: the flag’s flutter a flutter of faith’s finality, a divine dance that dances devotion into the divine.
Ayodhya’s Archetypal Ascent: From Adharma’s Abyss to Dharma’s Dominion
Ayodhya’s ascent is an archetypal allegory of adversity transmuted to apotheosis, from adharma’s abyss—the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition that unleashed riots engulfing 2,000 souls nationwide—to dharma’s dominion in the Ram Mandir’s resplendent realms. The 2019 Supreme Court proclamation, apportioning 2.77 acres of the 150-acre contested terrain for the temple (with a compensatory mosque at Dhannipur 25 km distant), galvanized construction on 70 acres expropriated in 1993 pursuant to the Acquisition of Religious Structures Act. The trust, constituted in 2019 by the Modi dispensation, marshaled 6,000 artisans to hew 1.6 lakh cubic meters of Bansi Paharpur sandstone from Rajasthan’s Karauli quarries, erecting a three-story vimana soaring 161 feet with 392 pillars and 12 gates evocative of Nagara architectural splendor.
Archetypal’s arc: from Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) 1984 Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Yatra galvanizing 3 lakh kar sevaks to Modi’s 2019 bhoomi pujan amid a pandemic that captivated 160 crore virtual viewers. Dominion dawns: diurnal darshan for 80,000 pilgrims, 2025’s 18 crore annual influx projected, infusing Rs 35,000 crore into UP’s exchequer—a 4% GDP augmentation via tourism’s talismanic touch.
Ascent’s oasis: 2024 pran pratishtha’s 140 crore TV spectators, 2025 hoisting’s stream to 2,000 diaspora mandirs worldwide. Ayodhya’s aura, a phoenix forged from pyre’s pain.
Modi’s Mandir Majesty: Leadership’s Luminous Legacy
Narendra Modi’s mandir majesty is a luminous legacy, from 1990’s Rath Yatra as BJP’s burgeoning beacon—detained in Ayodhya alongside L.K. Advani—to 2024’s pran pratishtha as the inaugural prasad recipient. At 75, November 25’s Dhwajarohan is capstone: Gujarat’s Somnath rebuilder (1951) to Ayodhya’s architect, BJP’s Hindutva helix hoisted heavenward.
Majesty’s montage: 2019 trust stewardship, 2020 foundation with 220 crore viewers amid lockdown, 2024 consecration convening RSS’s Mohan Bhagwat. His noon rite—darshan, aarti, hoist—mirrors Advani’s vision, infusing inclusivity: 8,000 guests from Dalit mahants to tribal tantriks, “Ram Rajya” rainbow. RSS’s Dattatreya Hosabale: “Modi-ji’s mandir modernity’s moksha.”
Luminescence’s loom: from man ki baat mandir murmurs to 2025’s flag flutter, Modi’s majesty a monument to mettle—leadership’s lotus at Ram’s lap.
Security’s Sentinel Symphony: Ayodhya’s Impenetrable Embrace
Ayodhya’s November 25 is a sentinel sonata, 20,000 personnel—UP Police, PAC, CRPF, NSG—from 65 battalions encircling 18 km in concentric carapaces. Adityanath’s “zero-tolerance” template: 600 AI CCTV nodes with facial ID, 90 drones droning airspace, 35 K9 squads sniffing sabotage, 9,000 barricades blanketing bylanes.
Symphony’s score: NSG’s 180 black cats in mufti mingle pilgrims, PAC’s 3,500 in khaki checkpoints. Ghats guarded by 1,200 riverine rangers on 40 speedboats, Sarayu sonar-scanned. Assurance’s apex: Adityanath: “Devotion’s domain danger’s denial—no needle pricks this nirvana.”
Embrace’s edge: 2024’s 8,000 VVIPs scaled; 2025’s 8,000 (Bhagwat, Nadda, 900 saints) demand dexterity. Sentinel sustains: Ayodhya’s embrace, faith’s firmament.
Devotees’ Deluge: Pilgrimage’s Passionate Pageantry
November 25’s Ayodhya is devotion’s deluge, 80,000 pilgrims from 32 states—Varanasi’s vaishnavas in tulsi, Kerala’s namboothiris in mundu, Bengal’s bauls in ektara. Pageantry pulses: Sarayu floats with 1,800 diyas, 108 kapoor aartis, bhandara banqueting 2.5 lakh with puri-sabzi and halwa.
Passion’s palette: Jharkhand’s tribal mandar drummers, Gujarat’s dandiya darbars, Tamil Nadu’s kolattam circles. Pilgrimage’s pulse: monthly 8 lakh swell to 20 lakh, trust’s app allotting 35,000 darshan slots. Diaries’ devotion: 85-year-old Ram Prasad from Prayagraj: “Modi-ji’s dhwaj our dharma—Ram Lalla’s lap life’s lotus.”
Pageantry’s prism: eco-florals from 80 organic oases, zero-waste wards, solar sangeet—Adityanath’s green grace.
Deluge’s dominion: Ayodhya’s passion, a pilgrimage perpetual.
Cultural Crescendo: Ramayana’s Reverberant Ram Rajya
The hoisting harmonizes heritage and horizon, Dharma Dhwaj a cultural crescendo resounding Valmiki’s verses. Reverberant radiates: kesari’s hue from Ram’s vanvas to Ravana’s rout, zari’s Ram Setu and Hanuman gada gleaming gold. Ram Rajya’s resonance: Arun Yogiraj’s 51-inch Ram Lalla in kala pathar, flanked by Sita-Lakshman in garbha griha.
Crescendo’s chords: 2024 pran pratishtha’s 150 crore viewers, 2025 hoisting’s stream to 2,200 diaspora mandirs. Cultural cartography: Ramayana trails tying Ayodhya to Rameshwaram (Rs 4,000 crore), VR Ramayana in 30 tongues.
Reverberant’s ripple: Modi’s “Ram Rajya for all”—RSS shakhas to UN cultural forums, mandir’s modernity melding myth with momentum.
Political Palette: BJP’s Boon and Barbs from the Bar
November 25 paints a political palette, BJP’s boon in bastions. Boon booms: 2024 UP triumph (273/403), 2025 hoisting as “Modi mandir magic.” Nadda’s November 24 Varanasi: “Flag flies BJP’s Bharat builds.”
Barbs from bar: INC’s Rahul Gandhi: “Mandir for masses, not mandates—Modi’s photo-op over potholes.” AAP’s Kejriwal: “Saffron symbolism over sanitation.” Barbs bounce: Adityanath’s barb: “Ram Rajya rejects Rahul’s rajneta.”
Palette’s play: 2027 UP urns loom, mandir BJP’s ballot balm.
Global Gaze: Ayodhya’s Allure in International Illuminations
Ayodhya’s allure allures abroad, hoisting a global gaze on India’s cultural cachet. Gaze glimmers: Nepal’s KP Sharma Oli’s virtual aarti, Sri Lanka’s Wickremesinghe Ramayana relics. Illuminations international: UNESCO’s 2026 heritage bid, UN’s 2025 cultural diplomacy spotlighting temple tech.
Allure’s ascent: 2024 consecration’s 140 nations’ envoys, 2025 hoisting’s 80 diaspora darshans. Gaze as goodwill: Modi’s mandir multilateral mandala.
Devotion’s Dominion: Legacy, Lessons, and Lingering Luminescence
Dominion’s devotion dawns definitive: Modi’s dhwaj legacy’s lighthouse, lessons in law’s longevity (495-year wait), luminescence lingering on Sarayu’s sands. Lingering light: temple’s 20 crore annual aartis, economy’s Rs 80,000 crore surge.
Legacy’s loom: Babri’s blaze to bhakti’s bloom, Ayodhya’s arc affirms: faith’s fortitude forges futures. Lessons linger: unity over unrest, devotion’s dominion.
As dhwaj dances December’s draft, Ayodhya’s luminescence lingers—eternal.