22 January 2024

• History-in-the-making: the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol was performed at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Modi served as Mukhya Yajamana.
• Architecture: the temple follows Nagara-style Maru-Gurjara architecture, 110 metres long and 49 metres tall, with no iron or steel in the structure.
• Legal: the temple was built on land awarded by the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict in the Ramjanmabhumi case.
• Society: the ceremony drew 7,000 guests and was watched live by millions. It opened the temple to public darshan from 23 January.

GS area: Art and Culture, Society, Polity (judicial background)

On 22 January 2024, the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of the Ram Lalla idol was performed in the newly constructed Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

• Pran Pratishtha: a Hindu ritual to sanctify an idol by invoking the divine presence within it. The ceremony marked the formal inauguration of the temple for worship.
• Timing: the main rites were performed between 12:15 PM and 12:45 PM on the Paush Shukla Kurma Dwadashi, a date held auspicious in the Vikram Samvat calendar.
• PM as Mukhya Yajamana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi served as the chief patron of the ceremony. He undertook an 11-day fast prior to the event, consuming only coconut water and fruit.
• Attendance: approximately 7,000 guests including spiritual leaders, political figures, film personalities, and sports stars. Guests included RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and CM Yogi Adityanath.

Static linkage: art and culture, religious practices, governance.

GS area: Art and Culture (temple architecture)

The Ram Mandir at Ayodhya is built in the Nagara architectural tradition, specifically the Maru-Gurjara variant from Gujarat and Rajasthan.

• Dimensions: 110 metres long, 72 metres wide, 49 metres at maximum height.
• No iron or steel: the structure uses only stone, brick, and mortar. The choice reflects traditional Agama Shastra principles.
• Material: approximately 600,000 cubic feet of pink sandstone from Bansi Paharpur, Rajasthan.
• Architects: the Sompura family from Ahmedabad, with chief architect Chandrakant Sompura. The same family has designed over 100 temples across India.
• Columns: 366 columns, each featuring 16 carved figures.
• Trust: the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, set up by the government in February 2020 per the Supreme Court order, supervises the project.
• Fundraising: over 127 million individual donations were received, totalling approximately Rs 5,000 crore.
• Bhumi Pujan: the groundbreaking was conducted on 5 August 2020 by PM Modi.

Static linkage: temple architecture, Maru-Gurjara style.

GS area: Polity (judiciary), Modern History

The Ram Mandir stands on a site at the centre of India's longest and most contentious communal dispute.

• 1949: idols of Ram Lalla were placed inside the Babri Masjid by worshippers. The colonial government locked the structure, creating a legal limbo.
• 1992: the Babri Masjid was demolished by a large crowd on 6 December. The demolition triggered nationwide communal violence.
• 2010: the Allahabad High Court divided the disputed 2.77 acres three ways, between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara, and the Ram Lalla idol itself as a legal person.
• 2019: the Supreme Court in M. Siddiq (D) through legal representatives vs Mahant Suresh Das (the Ramjanmabhumi case) overturned the 2010 division. The full 2.77 acres was awarded to the Hindu side for temple construction. Separately 5 acres in Ayodhya were directed to be given to the Sunni Waqf Board for a mosque.
• Archaeological Survey of India finding: the court cited ASI's report of evidence of a pre-existing structure beneath the demolished mosque, though noting the ASI could not confirm its nature with certainty.

Static linkage: constitutional law, secular framework, judicial history.

GS area: Geography, History

Ayodhya is located on the Sarayu (Ghaghara) river in Uttar Pradesh. The city has been continuously inhabited since ancient times.

• Sarayu: a tributary of the Ghaghara river, which is a tributary of the Ganga. Ayodhya stands on its southern bank.
• Religious significance: described as the birthplace of Lord Rama in the Ramayana. One of the seven sacred cities (Saptapuris or Sapta Moksha-puris) in Hinduism.
• Seven sacred cities: Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Ujjain, and Dwarka.
• Post-consecration visitor rush: over half a million visitors were recorded on the first day of public access (23 January). Daily footfall stabilised at around 100,000 per day within the first month.

Static linkage: sacred geography, river systems, pilgrimage.

• Wings India 2024: Asia's largest civil aviation expo, held in Hyderabad from 18-21 January. Key events included launch of UDAN 5.3 (the latest round of the regional connectivity scheme), and India's first indigenously designed aircraft seat.
• Scheduled Castes Protection Committee: a Cabinet Secretary-led committee was set up with members from MHA, DoPT, and other ministries to address concerns about sub-categorisation within SC reservations.