Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Ayodhya on Saturday morning ahead of the momentous Ram Mandir consecration ceremony taking place later in the day. Modi disembarked at the recently renamed Maharishi Valmiki International Airport before continuing onward via helicopter to the sacred temple site at the heart of the decades-long Ram Janmabhoomi dispute.
Upon arriving at the long-awaited Ram Mandir, the Prime Minister will lead proceedings in the climactic idol installation ritual, known as pran pratishtha, that will breathe life into the deity before throngs of gathered dignitaries. Modi is additionally scheduled to deliver an address following the VIP ceremony and visit the adjacent Kuber Tila site.
The Prime Minister’s jam-packed itinerary also includes meeting with construction workers who helped erect the towering temple after last year’s groundbreaking at the controversial Babri Masjid site. His arrival caps weeks of special events across India in preparation for the temple inauguration seen as a seminal triumph for the Hindu nationalist movement. Modi’s presence affirms the government’s firm support of reviving Ram’s legacy in the sacred city.