The Ram Mandir janmabhoomi pujan will take place in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh today. The temple, which is to be erected on the site where the Babri Masjid once stood, has been a bone of contention, and tied up in litigation for years.
The Supreme Court delivered its verdict in favour of the temple being built on the original site, where the foundation stone will be laid by PM Modi himself who arrived in Ayodhya earlier. Land will be allocated for the construction of a mosque at an alternate site, according to the court ruling.
PM Modi is going to lay down a special 40 kilogram silver brick, reportedly. Some political leaders have expressed their dismay at the PM for participating in a religious ceremony of this nature, while holding office, others have welcomed the event.
Leading upto the ceremony, the city of Ayodhya was in full preparation mode, with an estimated one lakh diyas to laid out and an equal number of sweets to be distributed after the ceremony.
The event marks a turning point for the city’s history as well as the nation’s politics, this was a movement that lasted decades, culminating with the Supreme Court ruling.
It will also have an impact on the geography of the region. The temple complex is going to lead to the development of the township of Navya Ayodhya, along the Faizabad-Gorakhpur highway.
The temple is slated to take between six months to a year to be built.