Ayodhya: Ayodhya is heading into its most charged moment since the Pran Pratishtha, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to unfurl a massive saffron flag atop the Ram Temple on November 25 in a ceremony designed to blend religious grandeur with high-tech precision.
The event, scheduled for the auspicious Abhijit Muhurat, is expected to transform the temple town into a national focal point as thousands of guests, dignitaries and devotees converge for a day packed with symbolism and ceremony.
The 22-by-11-foot flag, carrying the symbols of Surya, Om and the Kovidar tree, will rise from a 42-foot mast mounted on the 161-foot shikhar through an automated system that unfurls it within ten seconds. Temple bells and Vedic chants will echo across Ayodhya at the moment of hoisting, with the flag designed to be visible from three kilometres away.
The Prime Minister’s three-hour itinerary includes worship at Hanumangarhi and the Ram Lalla sanctum, followed by visits to the Sapt Mandir Parikota, Sheshavatar Temple and Ramayana murals. An enclosure has been set aside for engineers and workers behind the temple’s construction, whom the Prime Minister may interact with.
Public darshan has been suspended for November 25 due to security and crowd control concerns. From November 26, devotees will be allowed entry again. About 8,000 guests are expected for the day-long festivities, which will also see the first Ram–Sita Vivah celebration at the temple. Tent accommodation for 2,500 visitors is being set up in Teerth Puram, while more than 5,000 rooms have been booked across Ayodhya. The Ram Temple Trust has taken 1,600 of these rooms under its control to manage arrangements.
The flag, crafted in Ahmedabad from treated nylon parachute fabric, is built to withstand heat, rain and high winds. Its double-coated synthetic layer reduces moisture absorption and temperature effects, while the automated mechanism allows replacements without priests climbing the shikhar. The trust has not yet fixed the replacement schedule.
Temple Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Misra said the Abhijit Muhurat was chosen because it is tied to the birth of Lord Ram and is one of the most auspicious periods for rituals linked to him. Preparatory ceremonies began on November 21, with yajmans staying inside the complex until the main event.
The Ram–Sita Vivah ceremony will see participation from Janakpur, Nepal, along with leaders such as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. A tent city for 1,600 guests is almost ready in Teerth Kshetra Puram with food counters, prasad stalls and LED screens for live viewing.
Five hundred kilograms of laddoos made from ghee, gram flour and dry fruits are being prepared for offering to Ram Lalla and distribution to attendees. Over 10,000 lockers have been installed for visitors’ belongings, while a two-kilometre canopy along the entry and exit route offers shade and shelter.
As Ayodhya completes its final preparations, the city is preparing for a historic display of faith and statecraft that will cast the Ram Temple into the national spotlight once again.
