Hundreds of temples across the UK saw similar jam-packed celebrations. A huge billboard went up in Westfield London saying: “UK celebrates the homecoming of Bhagawan Shri Ram in Ayodhya today.”
Slough Hindu Mandir head priest Pandit Naresh Saraswat said the crowds were the biggest he had ever seen at the temple. “We are creating the same energy over here as in Ayodhya. People can feel the vibrations. People feel so much happiness that the place of Ram’s birth has been given to us and built so marvellously.”
The temple had a joyous jubilant atmosphere. Around 5,000 packs of prasad (laddus) and sacred unbroken rice grains from Ayodhya (Akshat) were handed out to devotees who lit diyas “to welcome Ram back to his kingdom”; sung devotional songs; got the word ‘Ram’ imprinted on their foreheads as tilak and offered prayers to the deities and the ceremonial rice pot.
Some had watched the consecration ceremony on a big screen earlier in the day. “I am very happy to see the Ram temple built. Ram sacrificed his life for 14 years in the forest. (On my) Next trip to India I want to visit it,” said Yash Verma, 82.
Chandrakant Singh, who had been fasting all day and was up since 4.30am watching the consecration ceremony on TV, said: “This is the most auspicious day for us. Since my birth, this was missing from my religion. It was taken away 500 years ago and today, in the proper legal way, it has been given to us. How many generations fought for this? We are lucky we could see it.”
“People in the UK are here to feel part of that celebration in India. Even though they can’t be there, we have created a similar environment and energy,” temple vice-president Ranju Kumar said.
“It is a dream come true. We are all lighting diyas at home, making sweets and giving offerings to the gods. It feels like Diwali,” said Ajay Murudkar. Another devotee, Alok Gupta, said: “I didn’t want to work today. All day, I just wanted to be at the temple. This is like Ram’s homecoming again.”