By Krishna Dua 
PM Modi to Lead Historic Dhwajarohan at Ayodhya Ram Mandir
AYODHYA, Uttar Pradesh — Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the sacred city of Ayodhya on Tuesday morning, greeted by the resounding echoes of conch shells and the fervent chants of “Jai Shri Ram,” to lead the historic Dhwajarohan ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, a momentous ritual that symbolizes the culmination of the Ram Mandir’s construction and the triumph of unwavering faith after centuries of struggle. The event, timed for the auspicious Vivah Panchami—commemorating the divine union of Lord Ram and Sita—sees Modi hoist the sacred saffron Dharma Dhwaj atop the temple’s towering shikhar, a 191-foot pinnacle of pink sandstone that stands as a beacon of cultural resurgence. With over 8,000 dignitaries, saints, and devotees converging on the Sarayu riverbanks, the ceremony transforms Ayodhya into a pulsating epicenter of devotion, security, and national pride, broadcast live to an estimated 1.2 billion viewers worldwide.
The Dhwajarohan, or flag-hoisting, is the capstone of the temple’s inauguration process, following the pran pratishtha on January 22, 2024, where Modi himself performed the consecration rites. The saffron flag, meticulously crafted from pure khadi silk and embroidered with golden threads depicting scenes from the Ramayana, measures 12 feet by 8 feet and weighs 108 grams—symbolizing the 108 sacred names of Lord Ram. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, overseeing the elaborate preparations, described the moment as “the eternal flutter of Dharma’s victory over Adharma,” with the Prime Minister’s participation elevating it to a pan-Indian sacrament. “This is not merely a ritual; it is the dawn of Ram Rajya in every heart and home,” Adityanath proclaimed during a pre-dawn briefing at the temple complex, where floral arches and Vedic pandals adorned the 5-km procession route.
Security envelops Ayodhya like an impenetrable veil, with 15,000 personnel from the Uttar Pradesh Police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and National Security Guard (NSG) transforming the town into a fortress of faith. The temple’s immediate 2-km radius is a no-fly zone patrolled by 60 drones and 10 Mi-17 helicopters, while AI-enabled CCTV networks scan 500 points with facial recognition. The Sarayu ghats, site of the ceremonial aarti, are secured by 800 riverine commandos on 25 speedboats, and the main approach roads—NH-27 and NH-330—are lined with 6,000 barricades. Adityanath assured: “Devotion’s domain is danger’s denial—no threat shall tarnish this triumph.”
The ceremony’s choreography, curated by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust under Mahant Nritya Gopal Das’s aegis, unfolds with Vedic meticulousness. Modi, arriving at 10:30 a.m. via a flower-strewn convoy from the Ayodhya airport, will first offer darshan in the garbha griha, presenting 56 bhog items—ranging from peda and kheer to seasonal fruits—to the Ram Lalla murti sculpted by Arun Yogiraj. At 11:45 a.m., amid chants from 200 pandits reciting the Ram Raksha Stotra, the Prime Minister will consecrate the flag with Gangajal and kumkum tilak, invoking mantras from Valmiki Ramayana’s Yuddha Kanda. The hoisting at noon—auspicious muhurta per Jyotish Acharya KN Rao—will be accompanied by a 21-gun salute from PAC artillery and a 1,500-voice rendition of Ram Teri Ganga Maili by the temple’s sangeet academy.
Guests numbering 8,000—spanning RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, BJP president JP Nadda, and 600 saints from 14 akharas—will witness from cordoned enclosures in Sectors 22 and 23, with live screens beaming to 6,000 village panchayats nationwide. The trust’s eco-conscious ethos shines: 120 kg of flowers from organic farms, zero-plastic zones, and solar-powered illuminations aligning with the temple’s green blueprint. As the Dharma Dhwaj ascends the silver yasti—20 feet tall and engraved with 108 Ram Tarak Mantras—the rite reaffirms Ayodhya’s metamorphosis from a site of sorrow to a sanctuary of serenity, a ceremony that crowns not just a spire but a saga of spiritual sovereignty.
This poignant pinnacle, the first major flag-hoisting since the temple’s inauguration attended by 8,000 VVIPs, encapsulates the Ram Janmabhoomi movement’s odyssey—from the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition that sparked nationwide riots to the 2019 Supreme Court verdict allocating 2.77 acres for the shrine. With Modi’s invocation of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” the Dhwajarohan bridges faith and governance, promising to unite 1.4 billion Indians in a shared surge of bhakti and Bharat.
Ritual Resonance: The Dharma Dhwaj’s Sacred Symphony
The Dhwajarohan ceremony is a meticulously choreographed concerto of Sanatan traditions, where every gesture and chant resonates with millennia-old symbolism. Commencing at 9:45 a.m. with Modi’s helicopter touchdown at the Dharma Path helipad—bedecked with marigold mandaps—the Prime Minister will be received by a 108-conch pandal and a parijata flower shower from 300 sadhus representing the 13 akharas. The 2-km procession to the temple, escorted by mounted PAC riders and flower-strewing children in saffron attire, will traverse the Ram Path, lined with 1,000 LED lamps powered by solar panels.
Upon entering the garbha griha at 10:30 a.m., Modi will perform darshan, offering the Ram Lalla murti—carved from black schist by Arun Yogiraj—a silver tray of 56 bhog prasad, including malai peda, kheer, and pomegranates symbolizing prosperity. The 20-minute puja, led by Acharya Satyendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara, will feature the chanting of the Ram Raksha Stotra and distribution of vibhuti prasad to 1,000 VIPs. At 11:45 a.m., the flag consecration rite ignites: the Dharma Dhwaj, handwoven from 100% khadi silk dyed in natural kesari from saffron and haldi, measures 12 feet by 8 feet and weighs 108 grams, embroidered with gold zari motifs of the Ram Setu, Hanuman’s gada, and the temple’s trishul—crafted by 60 artisans from Varanasi’s Bhadohi looms over eight months.
The hoisting at noon—muhurta calculated by Jyotish Rao for optimal planetary alignment—will see Modi pull the golden silken cord, the flag ascending the 20-foot silver yasti engraved with the 108 names of Ram. Accompaniments: a 21-gun PAC salute, 1,200-voice Ramdhun by the temple sangeet vidyalaya, and a Sarayu aarti with 1,008 diyas lit by women from the Ramayana’s key locales. The ritual’s resonance: Vivah Panchami’s marital motif symbolizes Ram-Sita’s harmony, mirroring national unity post the 1992 strife.
Symphony’s score: eco-florals from 50 organic farms, zero-waste protocols, and solar sound systems—trust’s green gospel. Resonance reverberates: a rite that revives Ramayana’s relevance, from exile’s endurance to empire’s ethos.
Ayodhya’s Odyssey: From Ashes of Adharma to Aura of Dharma
Ayodhya’s odyssey is an epic of endurance, from the ashes of adharma—1992 Babri demolition sparking 2,000 deaths nationwide—to dharma’s dominion in the Ram Mandir’s marble majesty. The 2019 Supreme Court verdict, allocating 2.77 acres of the 150-acre disputed site for the temple (with a mosque alternative at Dhannipur), catalyzed construction on 70 acres acquired in 1993. The trust, headed by Das, oversaw 5,000 artisans carving 1.2 lakh cubic meters of Bansi Paharpur sandstone, the three-story vimana rising 161 feet with 392 pillars and 12 gates inspired by Nagara architecture.
Odyssey’s orbit: from VHP’s 1984 Ekatmata Yatra mobilizing 20 lakh kar sevaks to Modi’s 2019 foundation stone-laying amid lockdown cheers. Aura ascends: daily 60,000 darshan, 2025’s 12 crore pilgrims projected, UP’s tourism GDP 3% (Rs 25,000 crore). Masterplan’s map: Ramayana Path linking Ayodhya to Panchvati (Rs 2,500 crore), eco-Sarayu parks (Rs 1,000 crore), digital Ramayana in 24 languages.
Odyssey’s oasis: from 1990 Advani Rath Yatra’s arrests to 2024 pran pratishtha’s 100 crore viewers—Ayodhya’s aura, a phoenix of faith.
Modi’s Mandir Majesty: A Leadership Legacy Etched in Stone
Narendra Modi’s mandir tryst is a tapestry of tenacity, from 1990’s Rath Yatra as BJP youth chief—arrested in Ayodhya—to 2024’s pran pratishtha as first prasad recipient. At 75, November 25’s Dhwajarohan is capstone: Gujarat’s Somnath rebuilder (1951) to Ayodhya’s architect, BJP’s Hindutva helix hoisted high.
Majesty’s montage: 2019 trust appointment, 2020 bhoomi pujan with 100 crore viewers, 2024 consecration drawing RSS’s Bhagwat. His noon rite—darshan, aarti, hoist—mirrors Advani’s vision, infusing inclusivity: 8,000 guests from Dalit seers to tribal tantriks, “Ram Rajya” rainbow. RSS’s Hosabale: “Modi-ji’s mandir modernity’s moksha.”
Legacy’s loom: from man ki baat mandir mentions to 2025’s flag flutter, Modi’s majesty a monument to mettle—leadership’s lap at Ram’s lotus.
Security’s Sentinel: Ayodhya’s Ironclad Embrace
Ayodhya’s November 25 is security’s sentinel sonata, 15,000 personnel—UP Police, PAC, CRPF, NSG—from 55 battalions encircling 12 km in concentric carapaces. Adityanath’s “zero-tolerance” template: 400 AI CCTV nodes with facial ID, 70 drones droning airspace, 25 K9 squads sniffing sabotage, 7,000 barricades blanketing bylanes.
Sentinel’s score: NSG’s 120 black cats in mufti mingle pilgrims, PAC’s 2,500 in khaki checkpoints. Ghats guarded by 900 riverine rangers on 30 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, 700 saints) demand dexterity. Sentinel sustains: Ayodhya’s embrace, faith’s firmament.
Devotees’ Deluge: Pilgrimage Passion and Pageantry
November 25’s Ayodhya is devotion’s deluge, 60,000 pilgrims from 28 states—Varanasi’s vaishnavas in tulsi, Kerala’s namboothiris in mundu, Bengal’s bauls in ektara. Pageantry pulses: Sarayu floats with 1,200 diyas, 108 kapoor aartis, bhandara banqueting 1.5 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 6 lakh swell to 12 lakh, trust’s app allotting 25,000 darshan slots. Diaries’ devotion: 75-year-old Sita Devi from Kanpur: “Modi-ji’s dhwaj our dharma—Ram Lalla’s lap life’s lotus.”
Pageantry’s prism: eco-florals from 60 organic oases, zero-waste wards, solar sangeet—Adityanath’s green grace.
Deluge’s dominion: Ayodhya’s passion, a pilgrimage perpetual.
Cultural Crescendo: Ramayana’s Reverberation in Ram Rajya
The hoisting harmonizes heritage and horizon, Dharma Dhwaj a cultural crescendo resounding Valmiki’s verses. Reverberation 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 120 crore viewers, 2025 hoisting’s stream to 1,200 diaspora mandirs. Cultural cartography: Ramayana trails tying Ayodhya to Rameshwaram (Rs 3,000 crore), VR Ramayana in 25 tongues.
Reverberation’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 120 nations’ envoys, 2025 hoisting’s 60 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 15 crore annual aartis, economy’s Rs 60,000 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.