PM Modi lays foundation stone of Ram temple in Ayodhya, bhoomi pujan concludes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation rock of the Ram temple. He took part in the bhoomi pujan rituals at the temple site and offered prayers. The groundbreaking ceremony marks the formal launch of the temple’s construction promised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party nearly three decades ago.

From Varanasi to Tamil Nadu, many followers have sent gifts for the groundbreaking ceremony, such as gold bricks and coins.

Special prayers began on Monday and will come to an end with the PM laying the foundation stone for the temple. The city has been adorned with paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana. The Uttar Pradesh government has also augmented the security arrangement for the event.

Besides the state police, the NSG commandos have also been kept waiting in the wings. The invitations for the ceremony have been kept limited in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and two other BJP stalwarts who had led the movement to build the temple in its early days, are said to have watched the event live on television because of the threat posed by coronavirus. Home Minister Amit Shah also watched the event from his bed in a Gurugram hospital where the 55-year-old BJP leader was admitted due to the virus.

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