Vol. 67 No. 98 | MONDAY | JANUARY 22, 2024 | 28 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only Quality at Value www.freepressjournal.in RENDEZVOUS WITH RAM Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee e Government of India Vira bhi, Vikas bhi asat Scan for more infor rmation Hamara sa ankalp Construction of new, gra and divine Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and Gift of d development projects worth thousands of crores rupees to Shri Ayodhya Dham worth Viksit Bh Bharat harat CBC 22201/13/0192/2324 2 EDITIONS: MUMBAI*, Pune, Nashik, Konkan, Indore, Bhopal, E-paper ETERNAL WAIT COMES TO AN END VIRENDRA KAPOOR I t is set to be the most celebrated ‘Ghar Wapsi’ in India’s history Ram Lalla’s re. turn to his rightful abode in Ayodhya fulfils the dream of tens of millions of Indians. They  have waited for this moment for centuries. No other event in the life of this ancient land of ours compresses in its fold the collective aspirations of  people as strongly as does the return of Ayodhyapati to Ayodhya. At long last, Indians are rid of the mental detritus of the alien rulers. There is no shame any longer in being a Hindu in Hindustan. The cultural and spiritual moorings rooted in the soil of India that is Bharat find a forceful assertion in the re-birth of the holy city of Ayodhya. It is just as well that the Prime Minster of over 140 cr Indians should represent them at the momentous ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony Raja and Rishi coming together to re.  claim the common heritage dignifies both. After all, Maryada Purshottam Ram is not only a most revered religious figure. He  also epitomises good governance. None  other was  a than  Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi  votary of Ram Rajya.  Little surprise then the country is awash . in a wave of religiosity A million memes about the Temple on social media; markets and streets of big and small cities and kasbas alike, decked with Ram ‘dwajas’; tens of  thousands of Rambhakts going door to   door to distribute consecrated rice and  in  vites for  the consecration ceremony; satu  ration coverage by print and audio-visual media. All these are a tribute to the rehabilitation of Ram as the greatest in our pantheon of gods.    Only a select few  will be  fortunate to attend the Ayodhya ceremony Tens of millions will . see it live in their homes on television; othcommunity sets in village ers  will view it on  panchayats or temples. The BJP governments at the Centre and in the States have declared Monday a holiday As one of the social . media wits put it, never before have Indians for . waited so excitedly  a Sunday  Monday on In time, those who made the Mandir possible can be expected to make January 22 a memorable date in the nation’s annual calendar. ourselves a new On January 26  had given  we political parchment to organise ourselves into a sovereign nation. On January 22,  we are asserting our ancient heritage to become GHAR WAPSI: T RESURGENT INDIA TAKES ITS SEAT Raja and Rishi have come together to reclaim a common heritage a proud people shedding the humiliating  vestiges of the colonial rulers. Macaulay-‘putras’ among us might bridle at the orchestrated glorification of the consecration ritual. Opposition politicians might curse themselves for not partaking in the Ayodhya ceremony seething , in anger that Modi will hog the limelight. Which he rightfully will: Without him this BISWAJEET BANERJEE/ AYODHYA oday  marks the momentous return of Ram Lalla to his abode and the sacred city of Ayodhya is ablaze with religious fervour and heightened anticipation. “Kal Ram Lalla Ghar Vaapis Aayenge,” joyously declares Manish Dixit, a local resident, encapsulating the excitement resonating in every corner of the city . moment may not have been possible.    The pretend-secularist-liberal cabal might look down upon at the erasure of the thin line that divided the temporal  from religious, the State from Church,  the raja  from rishi. Yet, in the long Indian tradition, bro      ken by the intrusion of barbaric invaders,   the raja was supposed to be the foremost devotee of God, His representative who   ruled with His blessings. Being religious then translated into being fair, just and even-handed towards all subjects.        If the ceremony reinstating Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum, where generations of Indians have believed he was born, injects in our public and private lives elements of religiosity it ought to do us a lot of good. Living by the ideals of Maryada Parshottam Ram would mean jettisoning opportunism, law-breaking, corruption et al. Being truly religious in that sense can mean being a good citizen. In our daily lives we defy Ram’s ideals without batting an eyelid. Our politicians, including the Mandir protagonists, know nothing about the desirable  corelation between means and ends,  end atthe tained any- which-way having become  sign a CONTD. ON NATION of success. The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ritual, initiated on January 16, enters its sixth day in Ayodhya. On Sunday evening, the old idol of Ram Lalla, who is being worshipped, was ceremoniously taken to the Ram temple, accompanied by his three brothers, Hanuman and the ‘shaligram’. The procession marked a significant step in the spiritual journey leading to the grand , ceremony on January 22. Chief Priest Satyendra Das solemnly announced that the revered old Ram Lalla idol had found its rightful place in the newly constructed temple on Sunday . This symbolic closure of the old temple is a poignant pause before the exclusive guests attending the Pran Pratistha ceremony are granted an opportunity for darshan on January 22. In anticipation of this occasion, the borders of Ayodhya have been sealed since Jan 20, CONTD. ON NATION Pran Pratishtha in 84 seconds FPJ NEWS SERVICE / AYODHYA As the sacred city of Ayodhya eagerly anticipates the historic Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust unveils the intricate details of this momentous occasion. The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla’s idol will be completed in 84 seconds, as this is the most auspicious time and the only window available to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Here is the schedule: Musical Prelude: Commencing at 10 am, the ceremony will be heralded by the playing of 'Mangal Dhvani,' a celestial melody Over 50 captivating . musical instruments from different states will grace this auspicious event, creating an enchanting atmosphere for about two hours. Guests are urged to enter by 10:30 am to partake in this harmonious prelude. CONTD. ON NATION