Prime Minister Modi Visits Ayodhya: Offers Prayers at Ram Temple, Leads Roadshow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and held a roadshow, on his first visit to the holy town since the consecration at the shrine on January 22.In a televised ceremony two days ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi was seen prostrating before the Ram Lalla idol.Earlier in the day, he had addressed rallies in Etawah and Sitapur.The entrance gates to the temple were decorated with flowers, with an Om motif formed with yellow petals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and held a roadshow, on his first visit to the holy town since the consecration at the shrine on January 22.

In a televised ceremony two days ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi was seen prostrating before the Ram Lalla idol.

Earlier in the day, he had addressed rallies in Etawah and Sitapur.

The entrance gates to the temple were decorated with flowers, with an 'Om' motif formed with yellow petals. Replicas of a bow and an arrow made using flowers were also seen at various places.

According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Ram Lalla seated in the temple wore a light pink attire on Sunday.

''The hearts of the people of Ayodhya are as big as Lord Shri Ram. Greetings to the people who came to give blessings in the road show!,'' Modi said in post on X.

Voting in the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, under which the Ayodhya district falls, will take place in the fifth phase of the elections on May 20.

In the third phase of the elections on May 7, polling will take place in 10 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Thirteen seats in the state will go to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13.

The prime minister embarked on the roadshow after offering prayers at the temple. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP's Faizabad candidate Lallu Singh accompanied him.

People from different walks of life lined the road as Modi's motorcade passed through. A group of saree-clad women walked in front of the prime minister's vehicle.

Holding an illuminated lotus (the BJP's election symbol), Modi waved and greeted the people standing on the sides of the road as his vehicle moved past.

Some people who were gathered on the roadside also raised ''Jai Sri Ram'' chants and slogans of ''Modi, Modi''. Many were seen taking pictures and making videos with Modi's vehicle as the backdrop.

At several places along the route, small groups performed dances while party workers were seen waving saffron flags. Some people also held up lotus cut-outs and pictures of the prime minister.

The roadshow continued for almost an hour.

It began from the temple entrance and concluded at the Naya Ghat crossing, also called the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, two kilometres away, party officials said. An idol of the Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, a landmark event led by Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir's construction to build the foundation of a ''strong, capable and divine'' India of the next 1,000 years.

The inauguration of the temple marked the culmination of a decades-long campaign, with Modi calling it the advent of a new era.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)