22 January 2024 was a momentous occasion; a moment that was as civilisational a turning point as it was poetic. It was a mark of the patience and resilience of the oldest civilisation; its will to fight for the cause of Dharma; to re-establish one of the seven Maha Teerthas in India by giving it its rightful place, by the inauguration of the Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya with the consecration of the Ram Lalla Idol.
The excitement was palpable, with banners, flags, flowers and Deepavali lights adorning many homes all around us as we came closer to the date. The actual day was marked with a gripping sense of engagement all around the community; we all could hear the numerous bhajans in the neighbourhood, along with plenty of Bhandaras serving prasad to all.
The evening was marked by lighting diyas (and the sporadic firecrackers burst forth too!).
At AOH, some members of our Elders’ Group served tea to the workers as part of their Seva in the morning, doing their bit. The ISCKON group had organised a bhajan sandhya with Bhog in the Clubhouse, with a large gathering of people.
Everyone across all age groups got together, dressed in their finest, bracing the cold, and joining in the festive music and dance, with chants of Hare Rama Hare filling the air, along with all the popular Ram Bhajans that we have become familiar with!
The celebration culminated with a feast as prasad where many volunteers took it upon themselves to serve food to all.
It was a wonderful moment, marking the common sense of happiness, ecstasy, pride and a curiosity to know more that we had been seeing over the last month or so, among all practising Hindus, and a sense of contentment and gratitude that we were the first group of people alive to witness this beautiful moment in 500 years.
May Shri Ram’s ideals guide our beautiful nation!
