NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said “the pain of centuries finds rest today” as he ceremonially hoisted a saffron “Dharma Dhwaj” atop the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple’s 191-foot-high shikhar in Ayodhya.Addressing the “Dharm Dhwaj Arohan Mahotsav” at Ram Temple, PM Modi said, “Today, the entire India and the world is Ram-may. There is extraordinary satisfaction in the heart of every Ram devotee. There is boundless gratitude. There is unfathomable supernatural bliss.”“The pain of centuries finds rest today. The resolve of centuries is attaining fulfillment today. This is the completion of that sacred yajna whose flame remained lit for 500 years,” he added.PM Modi was joined by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the event.
‘Pain of centuries finds rest today’
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, “Ayodhya is witnessing another epochal event in its history; entire country, globe is immersed in Ram.” “Today, Ayodhya is once again becoming that city which will serve as an example for the world. Ayodhya of the Treta Yuga gave humanity the gift of righteousness. Ayodhya of the 21st century is giving humanity a new model of development. Then, Ayodhya was the center of propriety. Now, Ayodhya is emerging as the backbone of a developed India,” PM said.“The pain of centuries finds rest today. The resolve of centuries is attaining fulfillment today. This is the completion of that sacred yajna whose flame remained lit for five hundred years,” he added.
‘Ayodhya is emerging as backbone of a developed India’
Modi said Ayodhya was reclaiming its place as a model for the world.“Today, Ayodhya is once again becoming that city which will serve as an example for the world. Ayodhya of the Treta Yuga gave humanity the gift of righteousness.”“Ayodhya of the 21st century is giving humanity a new model of development. Then, Ayodhya was the center of propriety. Now, Ayodhya is emerging as the backbone of a developed India.”He added that the future Ayodhya would reflect “a confluence of mythology and modernity,” where “the nectar-like flow of the Saryu River and the stream of development will flow together,” and “the harmony between spirituality and AI will be evident.”
‘Dharma Dhwaj is the banner of Indian civilization’
PM Modi described the flag as a symbol of struggle, devotion and civilizational resurgence. “This flag… is resolve, it is success! This flag… is the saga of creation born from struggle, the realized form of dreams carried through the centuries. This flag… is the meaningful culmination of the saints’ penance and society’s participation,” he said.“This Dharma Dhwaj is not merely a flag; it is the banner of the renaissance of Indian civilization. Its saffron hue, the renown of the Solar Dynasty inscribed upon it, the depicted syllable Om, and the embossed Kovidara tree symbolize the glory of Ram Rajya,” PM Modi said.He said the flag represented “the sacred outcome of the saints’ devotion and the collective participation of society” and would, for generations, proclaim the ideals of Lord Ram.
Temples built for key figures of the Ramayana
PM Modi highlighted the seven temples built within the complex, including those dedicated to Mata Shabari, Nishadraj, Maa Ahilya, Maharishi Valmiki, Maharishi Vashishtha, Maharishi Vishwamitra, Maharishi Agastya and Sant Tulsidas.Statues of Jatayu and the Gilehri, he said, symbolize the value of every contribution “however small, for the fulfillment of great resolutions.”
‘Ayodhya is the land where ideals become conduct’
Calling Ayodhya the city that shaped Lord Ram’s journey, PM Modi said it taught the world how a person “rises to become ‘Maryada Purushottam’.”“Ayodhya is the sacred land where ideals transform into conduct. It is the very city from where Lord Shri Ram began the journey of His life. Ayodhya showed the world how a person, through the strength of society and the values instilled within, rises to become ‘Maryada Purushottam’,” the prime minister stated.“This Dharmadhwaj shall serve as an inspiration: that life may depart, but the word must not—meaning that what is said must be done. This Dharmadhwaj shall convey the message—Karmapradhan vishwa rachi rakha, meaning that in the world, karma and duty shall hold primacy,” he added.He said the flag aspired to a society free of “discrimination, suffering, and distress,” bringing “peace and happiness.”
The whole world will be run by ‘Dharm Dhwaj’: Bhagwat
Addressing a large gathering in the presence of PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath, and thousands of attendees, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called the occasion a “significant day for all”. He began by expressing gratitude and recalled the decades-long Ram Mandir movement, honoring those who dreamed, struggled, and sacrificed their lives for the cause. “Numerous people saw a dream, numerous people made efforts, and numerous people made sacrifices. Their souls must be full today,” he said, adding that, “Ashok ji (Ashok Singhal) must have felt peace today. Mahant Ram Chandra Das ji Maharaj, Dalmia ji (senior VHP leader Vishnu Hari Dalmia) and numerous saints, people and students sacrificed their lives and worked hard.”Bhagwat described the ceremonial flag unfurled at the temple as a symbol of the legacy of Ram Rajya — a vision of justice, peace and prosperity. “The ‘dhwaj’ of Ram Rajya, which once flew high in Ayodhya and used to spread peace and prosperity to the world, is now seated at its ‘shikhar’ and we witnessed this happening,” he said, calling the moment spiritually meaningful.He stressed that the moment was not just symbolic but deeply spiritual. “‘Bhagwa’ is the color of this flag, it is ‘Dharmdhwaj’. The whole world will be run by that flag,” he declared.
‘A new era for the nation’
Further CM Adityanath said the saffron flag marked the beginning of a “new era” for the nation, asserting that the Ram Temple stands as a symbol of the faith and self-respect of 140 crore Indians.“Flag hoisting at the grand temple of Bhagwan Ram in Shri Ayodhya Dham is not a ‘Poornaahuti’ of a ‘Yagya’ but a beginning of a new era. I thank PM Modi on this occasion on behalf of Ram devotees,” he said.“This grand temple is the symbol of 140 crore Indians’ faith and self-respect. I congratulate all the ‘karma yogis’ who sacrificed themselves for this. This flag is the proof that the light of Dharma is immortal and the principles of Ram Rajya are timeless… When PM Modi became the prime minister in 2014, the faith that rose in the hearts of crores of Indians is now symbolized as this grand Ram Temple. This saffron flag symbolizes Dharma, integrity, truth, justice and ‘Rashtra Dharma’,” he added.
What Ayodhya Temple’s ‘Dharma Dhwaj’ signify
The triangular flag, measuring 10 feet by 20 feet, features a radiant Sun, the sacred ‘Om,’ and the Kovidara tree. It was hoisted during the “Abhijit Muhurat,” considered highly auspicious.The specially designed flag, 22 feet long and 11 feet wide, has been crafted by a parachute specialist from Ahmedabad to withstand high-altitude conditions on the 161-foot temple summit. Weighing between two and three kilograms, the flag has been engineered for durability on the 42-foot flagpole.The ‘Dharma Dhwaj’ carries three sacred symbols, Om, the Sun and the Kovidara tree, each representing core values of Sanatan Dharma.Om signifies the eternal spiritual sound and cosmic vibration. The Sun symbol marks Lord Rama’s Suryavanshi lineage, invoking divine energy. The Kovidara tree, believed to be a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat created by Rishi Kashyap, symbolizes ancient knowledge and the continuity of sacred traditions.
