Live Blog: Ayodhya's grand Ram Mandir inauguration

The countdown to the inaugural ceremony of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya had begun as countrymen waited to witness the historic consecration or 'pran pratistha' ritual of Ram Lalla following the end of a 70-year-long court battle in 2019. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust installed the Ram Lalla idol at the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple at noon on Jan 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi headlining the event. The landmark event was attended by 10,000 special guests including 100 international dignitaries. "Ram is not fire, he is energy. He is not conflict but solution," said PM Modi after the rituals addressing the gathering and the entire country.