Members of tribal and forest-dwelling communities from Sonbhadra, invited as special guests for the flag-hoisting event at the Ram temple, joined other dignitaries in Ayodhya on Tuesday, including the son of a former litigant in the Babri Masjid case.
According to officials, the Shri Ram Mandir Trust extended the invitation and the guests received a ceremonial welcome from representatives of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Arrangements for their stay have been made at multiple locations in the city, with all essential facilities provided, they added.
Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said the visiting groups expressed appreciation for the warm reception, noting that Lord Ram spent 14 years in exile among forest-dwelling communities, making this moment especially meaningful for them.
Ram Temple Dhwaj Ceremony
Before being taken to the temple in electric vehicles, the guests were served refreshments by the trust.
Raju Das, priest at the Hanuman Garhi temple, said people from various backgrounds had been invited to join the occasion.
Among those attending was Iqbal Ansari, son of the late Hashim Ansari, one of the original petitioners in the Babri dispute, who expressed happiness at being part of the ceremony.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted a 10-foot saffron flag featuring a radiant Sun, the symbol of Lord Ram’s valour, along with the ‘Om’ sign and the Kovidara tree, atop a Nagara-style temple shikhar.
As per the Prime Minister’s Office, the ritual aligns with an auspicious moment, Panchami of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Margashirsha, which is also celebrated as Vivah Panchami, marking the divine union of Ram and Sita.