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'He couldn't hold himself from chanting 'Jai Siya Ram'.'
Ayodhya MLA Ved Prakash Gupta, who was one of the 175 invitees at the bhoomi puja ceremony in the temple town reveals to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com why Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi used 'Siyavar Ramvchandra ki Jai' instead of 'Jai Shri Ram' associated with the Ram Janambhoomi movement since the times of Lal Kishenchand Advani.
Bhoomi puja in the times of Corona
Every attendee and invitee had strict instructions to be seated in places allotted to them by the state and district administration. Everybody had to strictly maintain social distancing and chairs were arranged keeping this in mind.
It was Ayodhya's fortune that the prime minister came to the town to do the bhoomi puja for constructing a grand temple here.
Given the late Ashok Singhal's (the former international president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad) huge contribution towards the Ram Janmabhoomi agitation, his nephew Lalit Singhal and his wife performed the role of yajman (hosts).
Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders including Sarkaryawah (General Secretary) Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi, UP Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dr Dinesh Sharma were also present at the bhoomi puja.
The gathered dignitaries included over 55 chief sadhus and mahants from across India, 40 of which were from different akhadas (affiliated temples) in Ayodhya.
Champat Raiji, who is the secretary of the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, anchored the event.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathji, Governor Anandiben Patel, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwatji and Swami Nritya Gopal Das (president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a trust formed by the VHP after demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 to oversee the construction of the Ram temple in its place) shared the dais with the PM.
Out of the 175 people who attended the function in Ayodhya there were officials from the Union and state governments and also SPG commandos and top level police officers.
The highlight of the PM's speech
When the PM announced the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya and constitution of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust members in the Lok Sabha, he had also outlined that with the construction of the Ram temple, Ayodhya too will develop and prosper. He had promised to make Ayodhya a global tourist place and you will see that becoming a reality in the next three years.
You will see the importance of Ayodhya growing manifold not only in India, but around the world.
The most important thing the PM said was that 'Ayodhya main Ram mandir ke saath saath rashtra mandir bhi banega (that the Ram mandir in Ayodhya will not only symbolise national integrity, but will also be considered the national temple).
On the PM chanting 'Jai Siya Ram (All hail Sita and Ram)'
Jai Shri Ram has been the war cry of all leaders like Lal Kishenchand Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti etc who began the Ram Janambhoomi agitation in 1987.
Sitaji ke bina to prabhu Shri Ram adhoore hai (Without Sitaji, Shri Ram is incomplete). Definitely, he (Modi) is so steeped in Ram bhakti (devotion) that he chanted 'Jai Siya Ram'. Sitaji is entire India's mother and is equally revered by Indians, irrespective of their religion.
WATCH: A grand temple will now be built for our Ram: Modi
The PM was so emotional that he couldn't hold himself from chanting 'Jai Siya Ram.'
Making Ayodhya a global city
It was the most important day in the life of a person who happens to be the representative of the people of Ayodhya at a time when the prime minister of India laid the foundation stone for building a grand temple in the town fulfilling the centuries' old dream of a nation that had felt humiliated for hundreds of years.
I have been a part of this agitation for 25 years. I would consider it as prabhu Ram's blessings that he gave me an opportunity to represent the people of the town and the time has come for the construction of a grand and magnificent temple in Ayodhya.
My dream now is to see the construction of temple in Ayodhya and converting the town into a clean, modern and global centre without compromising on its religious and spiritual connect with the people of India.
I have been working hard for it and will work harder now to ensure Prime Minister Modi's dream of making Ayodhya a tourist hotspot becomes a reality in the next three years.
We would be making Ayodhya a place that seeps in tradition and spiritualism and which at the same time welcomes Indian and global tourists to a place which is clean and healthy.
Under the leadership of Yogi Adityanathji, every Ayodhya-wasi will work hard to ensure that Ayodhya becomes a dream town for every person that visits it. He has been the first chief minister to visit Ayodhya 21 times after becoming the CM of the state.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chief minister for giving top-most priority for the construction of the Ram temple and putting in his sincere efforts to make Ayodhya a truly global city.
The grandest and most magnificent Ram temple will become a reality in the next two-and-a-half to three years.
As the local MLA I will ensure that the entire MLA's development fund of Rs 2 crore that I get from next year will be spent on beautifying and in cleanliness of the town. All the MLAs of UP have contributed their MLAs development funds for this year to fight COVID-19.
The atmosphere in Ayodhya today
The atmosphere in Ram's janambhoomi (birthplace) after the bhoomi puja is extraordinary indeed. Ayodhya-wasi aaj Diwali mana rahe hai (It's a festive atmosphere like Diwali).
I am sure the people of Ayodhya must have celebrated Ram's return to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile the same way the people here are celebrating by lighting lamps, decorating their houses with saffron confetti.
Everybody is chanting Shri Ram's name and singing bhajans.
The city looks so beautiful and clean today and it's all because of the efforts of the people of Ayodhya.
If we did it for the last three days, we can do it forever and forever and make Ayodhya the cleanest and healthiest of all the cities in India.