Ayodhya set for Tuesday ceremony as PM Modi to raise saffron flag on Ram temple shikhar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ayodhya on Tuesday to ceremonially hoist a saffron flag on the spire of the Ram temple, an event marking the completion of the temple’s construction.

Ahead of the visit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed preparations in Ayodhya on Monday and issued directions to officials to ensure smooth arrangements.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the right-angled triangular saffron flag — 10 feet in height and 20 feet in length — bears the image of a radiant Sun symbolising the brilliance and valour of Lord Rama. It also carries an ‘Om’ and an image of the Kovidara tree. The PMO said the sacred flag embodies dignity, unity, cultural continuity, and the ideals of Ram Rajya.

The flag will be installed atop a ‘shikhar’ built in the traditional north Indian Nagara architectural style. Surrounding it is an 800-metre Parkota, a circumambulatory enclosure designed in the south Indian architectural tradition, highlighting the temple’s diverse architectural elements.

During his visit, the prime minister will offer prayers at the Saptmandir, which houses temples dedicated to Maharshi Vashishtha, Maharshi Vishwamitra, Maharshi Agastya, Maharshi Valmiki, Devi Ahilya, Nishadraj Guha and Mata Shabari.

He will also visit the Sheshavtar Mandir and the Mata Annapurna temple, followed by ‘darshan’ and ‘pooja’ at the Ram Darbar Garbh Grah and ‘darshan’ at the Ram Lalla Garbh Grah.

Around noon on Tuesday, Modi will hoist the saffron flag on the Ram Mandir shikhar, which the PMO said symbolises the completion of the temple’s construction and marks the beginning of a new chapter of cultural celebration and national unity. The prime minister will also address a gathering.

“The programme will take place on the auspicious Panchami date of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Margashirsha, coinciding with the Abhijit Muhurat of Shri Ram and Maa Sita’s Vivah Panchami, a day symbolising divine union,” the PMO said. The date also marks the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, who meditated in Ayodhya for 48 hours in the 17th century, adding to the spiritual significance of the ceremony.

The temple complex features 87 intricately carved stone episodes from the Valmiki Ramayana on the outer walls of the main shrine, along with 79 bronze-cast episodes from Indian culture placed along the enclosure walls. These elements aim to offer visitors insight into the life of Lord Ram and the country’s cultural heritage.

On Monday, Adityanath carried out an on-site review of arrangements in Ayodhya, the Uttar Pradesh government said. A total of 6,970 security personnel — including ATS commandos, NSG snipers, cyber experts and technical teams — have been deployed in the city.

Anti-drone systems and advanced monitoring tools are operational across the temple premises and surrounding areas. Senior officials, from superintendents of police to field-level teams, are overseeing security and coordination.

Personnel responsible for crowd management, security screening, explosives detection and emergency response have been stationed at key points.

Special units such as bomb squads, dog squads, VVIP protection teams, fire units and rapid response teams are also active in the city, the state government said.