Ayodhya: Calling the hoisting of Dharma Dhwaja atop the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya “historic,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India must simultaneously draw strength from its heritage and free itself from “the slave mentality” to achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Soon after hoisting the saffron flag atop the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, PM Modi invoked the values associated with Bhagwan Ram to underline the vision of building a “confident” and “future-ready India”.
While addressing the gathering at the ‘Dhwajarohan’ ceremony in Ayodhya, PM Modi said, “Ram is not a person, He is a value. If we want to make India developed by 2047, we have to awaken Ram within ourselves. What day can be better than today for this resolution?”
He emphasised that “Bhagwan Ram connects through emotion”, reaffirming that devotion and cooperation form the core of Indian society.
Reflecting on India’s development journey of the past decade, the Prime Minister said, “In the last 11 years, every section of society, women, Dalits, backward classes, extremely backward classes, tribals, the deprived, farmers, workers, and youth, has been placed at the centre of development.”
He said that by 2047, when the nation marks 100 years of Independence, the “goal of building a Viksit Bharat must be fully realised”. He urged citizens to act with vision, keeping future decades and centuries in mind.
“Humein aane wale 1000 varshon ke liye Bharat ki neev mazboot karni hai. Jo sirf vartaman ka sochte hain wo aane wali pidhiyon ke saath anyaay karte hain. Hum jab nahi the yeh desh tab bhi tha, jab hum nahin rahenge yeh desh tab bhi rahega,” PM Modi further said.
Linking heritage with national identity, the Prime Minister highlighted the significance of the Kovidar tree depicted on the ‘Dharma Dhwaja,’ stating that its re-establishment represented a “rejuvenation of identity.”
“This historic day of November 25th brings a moment of pride in our heritage. The reason is the Kovidar tree inscribed on the Dharma Dhwaja. This Kovidar tree exemplifies that when we are cut off from our roots, our glory is buried in the pages of history… When the Kovidar is being re-established in the courtyard of the Ram Temple, it is a rejuvenation of our identity… The Kovidar tree reminds us that when we forget our identity, we lose ourselves… If the country is to progress, it must be proud of its heritage,” he explained.
PM Modi also referred to the colonial-era introduction of English as the medium of instruction in India by Thomas Macaulay in 1835, calling it the beginning of attempts to uproot India from its cultural foundations. He stated India must resolve to free itself from the “slave mentality” by 2035, marking 200 years since the introduction of the Macaulay education system in 1835.
“Another important thing is complete freedom from the slave mentality. 190 years ago, in 1835, an Englishman named Macaulay sowed the seeds of uprooting India from its roots. Macaulay laid the foundation of slavery in India. Ten years later, in 2035, that unholy event will complete 200 years. For the next 10 years, we have to move ahead with the goal of freeing India from the mentality of slavery,” he added.
PM Modi also said that India and the world are “Ram-may”, as he described the installation of the Dharma Dhwaja atop the Ram Temple as a moment that heals “wounds of centuries” and marks the fulfilment of a civilisational resolve kept alive for 500 years.
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 wounds of centuries are being healed. The pain of centuries is being put to rest today. The resolve of centuries is being fulfilled today. Today is the completion of that sacrifice whose fire remained lit for 500 years.”
He added that the Dharma Dhwaja, established at the ‘shikhar’ (top) of the Grand Ram Temple, carries profound symbolic significance.
“Aaj Sampurna Bharat, Sampurna Vishwa Ram-may hai. Har Ram Bhakt ke hriday mein adwitiya santosh hai. Aseem kritagyata hai. Apaar alaukik anand hai. Sadiyon ke ghaav bhar rahe hain. Aaj uss yagya ki poornahuti hai jiski agni 500 varsh tak prajwalit rahi. Today, the energy of Bhagwan Ram is established at the shikhar of the Grand Ram Temple in the form of this Dharma Dhwaja,” the Prime Minister said.
Elaborating on the symbolism of the flag, PM Modi noted that it reflects the rebirth of an ancient civilisation and embodies the ideals of Ram Rajya.
“This Dharma Dhwaja is not just a flag. It is the flag of the rejuvenation of Indian civilisation. The Saffron colour, Suryavansh’s signia, the ‘Om’ word, and the Kovidara tree impersonate Ram Rajya’s glory. This flag is a resolution, a success, a story of struggle to creation, a physical form of the struggle of 100s of years. For the coming thousands of centuries, this flag will proclaim Bhagwan Ram’s values. Truth is Dharma. There should be no discrimination or pain, and there is peace and happiness. There should be no poverty, and no one is helpless,” he said.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat ceremonially hoisted the saffron flag atop the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple’s 191-foot-high shikhar in Ayodhya, symbolising the completion of the temple’s construction.
The ‘Dharma Dhwaj’ carries three sacred symbols, Om, the Sun and the Kovidara tree, each representing profound spiritual values rooted in the Sanatan tradition. The right-angled triangular flag measures 10 feet in height and 20 feet in length.
The Kovidar tree is a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap, showcasing ancient plant hybridisation. The Sun represents Bhagwan Ram’s Suryavansh lineage, and Om is the eternal spiritual sound.
The flag hoisting has coincided with the Abhijit Muhurat of Bhagwan Ram and Goddess Sita’s Vivah Panchami. (With inputs from ANI)
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