The air was charged with devotion and grandeur as a constellation of Bollywood’s finest descended upon the holy city of Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha ceremony. Among the glittering array of celebrities were Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and wife Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif, Ayushmann Khurrana, Madhur Bhandarkar, Anupam Kher, Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, and Asha Bhosale. All of them exuded elegance in their resplendent traditional attires, paying homage on this revered day to the deity Ram Lalla.
The couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, along with a host of other Bollywood celebrities, graced the inauguration of the Ram Mandir. Echoes of spirituality and tradition reverberated through the precincts of the event. As they joined in the ceremonies, the stars embraced the spirit of the occasion. Alia was seen draped in a serene blue saree complementing the light-coloured kurtas of actors like Vicky Kaushal, her husband Ranbir, Ayushmann Khurana, and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani.
Among the serried ranks of distinguished participants, actor Ranbir Kapoor was particularly moved by the importance of the day, expressing both pride and a wistful longing as he joined his peers at the momentous event. “It’s a big pride to be here, I feel extremely lucky and blessed,” said Kapoor. The sentiment however carried a touch of sadness, “I wish I could bring my daughter Raha here to experience this historic moment. Great vibrations, great energy. Jai Shri Ram.” The revered grounds were not graced by the presence of his daughter Raha, who turned one year old in November 2023. Raha, introduced to the public the previous Christmas, was surely missed at this auspicious event by her doting father.
Enhancing the festive mood, candid moments were captured as selfies became a medium for the stars to preserve the memories of the day. Madhuri Dixit’s husband, Dr. Shriram Nene, clicked a selfie with his celebrity wife and the likes of Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and others against the backdrop of the sacred Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
The day was steeped in spiritual significance as the idol of Ram Lalla was ceremoniously installed under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presided over the Pran Pratishtha rituals. As the sounds of Vedic hymns filled the air, the Indian Air Force lent its tribute with choppers showering petals over the temple premises during this momentous unveiling.
An assembly of over 8,000 guests, invited from all spheres including cricket, film, arts, politics, and more, attended the grand ceremony. Amidst the collective chanting of ‘Jai Sri Ram’, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath honored the occasion with their presence.
The newly consecrated Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir stands majestic in Nagara architectural style. It spans an impressive length of 380 feet, a width of 250 feet, and soars to a height of 161 feet, with 392 pillars supporting the structure, along with 44 doors. The columns and walls of the temple are adorned with intricate carvings depicting an array of Hindu gods and goddesses. At the heart of this spiritual edifice, in the ground floor’s main sanctum sanctorum, the idol of Shri Ramlalla in his childhood form now resides, sanctifying the revered site.
