Ayodhya’s grand Ram temple today witnessed its first Holi celebration since its inauguration in January this year. A large number of devotees gathered early in the morning to partake in the festivities of offering colours and sweets to the Ram Lalla idol adorning the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The temple priests engaged in a ceremonial playing of Holi, accompanied by the traditional offerings of abir and gulal as part of the Raag Bhog rituals. Additionally, an array of 56 dishes was presented before the idol as prasad.
“Ramlalla is celebrating his first Holi after his consecration in the temple. His charming idol was decorated with flowers, gulaal has been applied on the forehead. On this occasion, the idol of Ram Lalla wore a pink dress,” said Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the temple.
The temple priests sang Holi songs along with the devotees and danced in front of the idol in celebration.
The festivities extended beyond the temple’s confines. Devotees could be seen gathering in huge numbers outside the temple’s premises to celebrate Rangotsav as Holi fever gripped the ancient city of Ayodhya.
To regulate the massive influx of crowd, adequate security measures were put in place for a smooth darshan for devotees.
The Ram Temple was thrown open to the public on January 23, a day after the much-celebrated consecration ceremony, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by a host of politicians and celebrities.
The construction of the Ram Temple was initiated after a prolonged legal battle that concluded with the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the temple in November 2019. Prime Minister Modi, addressing the nation, had declared the consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol as the advent of a new era.