'500 years in the making', says Pon Radhakrishnan on Ayodhya's Bhumi Pujan celebrations

Former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan tweeted on August 5, in commemoration of Ram Mandir's Bhumi Pujan at Ayodhya. In his post, he explained the significance of the day by stating it is the dream of millions of people spanning 500 years to be able to witness a day such as this one.

Calling it a 'miraculous event', he said the sacrifice of the martyrs for the temple's cause will live on. Pon Radhakrishnan, who was also the Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping and an Ex-MP from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari, posted a video message on social media platforms relaying his greetings to everyone.

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'Miraculous event 500 years in the making': Pon Radhakrishnan

August 5 marks the day of the much-awaited groundbreaking ceremony at Ayodhya where the grand Ram Lalla temple is about to be erected. PM Modi will be laying the first bricks at the celebrations.

Numerous gifts have been sent to the temple for the event, often in the form of gold, sweets and other precious offerings. A group of saints from Tamil Nadu participating in the event brought with themselves, 5kgs of gold and 20kgs of silver bricks to donate to the construction.

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We have brought the gold and silver bricks for donating it for the purpose of the grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. We received monetary donations from people of Tamil Nadu and procured the bricks with that sum. It is left for the trust to use it in whichever way they deem fit. Our only purpose is that a grand Ram temple should be built, said Saint Mannargudi Jiyarswami.

Head priests at Hanuman Garhi, Sri Gaddinsheen Premdas ji Maharaj, stated that PM Modi will be honoured for his government's efforts in the realisation of the temple with headgear, a silver crown and a stole with Lord Ram's name printed on it. Owing to the prestigious occasion, security arrangements in Ayodhya have been tightened ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone (silver brick) of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya later in the day.

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Here is the full itinerary of PM Modi in Ayodhya:

• Landing at Lucknow airport at 10:35 am
• Leaving the airport for Ayodhya in helicopter at 10:40 am
• Landing in Saket Colony in Ayodhya at 11:30 am
• Darshan at Hanuman Garhi at 11:40 am
• Reaching Ramjanmabhoomi at 12 noon
• 10 minutes for darshan of Ram Lalla
• Tree plantation program in the premises of the promised temple at 12:15 pm
• Bhoomi Poojan begins at 12:30 pm
• Foundation stone laying ceremony at 12:40 pm
• Meeting Swami Nrityagopal Das and other members of the Ram Janmabhoomi trust at 1:10 pm
• PM Modi will leave for Saket helipad at 2:05 pm
• Departure for Lucknow at 2:20 pm

 Read | Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan LIVE Updates: PM reaches Lucknow; Yogi Adityanath reaches Ayodhya