Modi Hoists Saffron Flag at Completed Ram Temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hoisted a saffron flag atop the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, in a ceremony marking the formal completion of the shrine's construction four years after its inauguration. The event, attended by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took place during the auspicious Abhijit Muhurat and coincided with Vivah Panchami, the Hindu festival celebrating the marriage of Lord Ram and Sita.

The flag, known as the Dharma Dhwaja, is a right-angled triangular banner measuring 10 feet high and 20 feet long, crafted from durable parachute-grade cloth with a nylon rope for longevity. It features three sacred symbols: a radiant sun representing Lord Ram's Suryavansh lineage, the eternal sound Om, and the Kovidara tree, a hybrid plant from ancient tradition symbolizing Ram Rajya. Temple officials described the saffron color as embodying fire, the rising sun, sacrifice, and dedication. Unlike conventional hoisting methods, the ceremony involved a unique mechanism activated by a podium with a hand in Namaskara pose, which Modi and Bhagwat moved to raise...