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Siddhi, Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān, Kī Jaya, Devadhī, Deveśvara, Mahādeva, Kī Jaya, Hindudhāraṇa, Samrasa, Mārvaṇandajī, Bhagavān, Kī Jaya, Viśvaguru, Mahāmaṇḍaleśvarānanda, Mahāmaṇḍajī, Gurudeva, Kī Jaya. By the blessings of Gurudev, I had the honour of being invited to the opening ceremony of the Temple of Rāma in the city of Ayodhyā, which is considered his birthplace. I was fortunate to attend, and I am happy I did, for it allowed me to truly understand the importance of this Rāma Temple. There are many temples to Rāma, so for many of us, it may not seem particularly significant, and for the West, it likely means even less. The common understanding is that there was a mosque, and a temple was built upon it. One might ask, what is the great significance? Throughout history, such events have occurred: a conqueror arrives, destroys the temple of another, builds their own upon it, only for a later conqueror to destroy that and rebuild again. However, in India, this resolution was not achieved violently. Of course, there were attempts and occasions where people tried to settle it in the classical, forceful manner. But this time, the context is different. Ayodhyā is the birthplace of Rāma. Rāma, together with Kṛṣṇa, is one of the fundamental pillars of Hinduism and of India itself. We are familiar with Kṛṣṇa through the ISKCON movement and the Bhagavad Gītā, but perhaps less so with Rāma. Kṛṣṇa embodies freedom, knowledge, and many other divine qualities. Rāma, on the other hand, is the incarnation of obedience to the law. His title is Maryadā Puruṣottam. This means he represents the highest possible ideal in following dharma, the righteous code. No one except Rāma can follow the rules so perfectly and still be, let us say, ultimately successful. Because of this adherence to dharma, he forms the backbone of Indian society and its legal ethos. This is particularly interesting because, for Muslims, the specific location of a masjid is not of paramount importance; it can be built anywhere. Recognising the profound significance of the Rāma Mandir, India managed through court cases to reach a conclusion: the temple would be built at that site, the stones from the former mosque would be moved to another location, and a new mosque would be constructed there. This would not happen in any other country but India. The importance of this for Hinduism is akin to imagining someone conquering the Vatican and fundamentally altering its nature. Thus, Ayodhyā holds immense spiritual and positive influence, a profoundly good meaning for all of India and all Hindus. It is truly significant as the birthplace of one of the highest incarnations of Viṣṇu. This is the background. The question of whether it would be a Rāma Temple or a mosque persisted for 500 years. Now, in modern India, they have managed to resolve it without bloodshed, through the law and by seeking agreement among all parties. Of course, not all parties are happy, and there will always be some problems—such is human nature. But now, Ayodhyā is firmly re-established as the place where Rāma was born. The city of Ayodhyā, the site of his birth, the places associated with Daśaratha and all the events from the Rāmāyaṇa we read about, are there. Our journey there took about 13 hours from Jaipur. After 12 hours, one's mood is not the best, the traffic was intense, and it was almost raining. It was very dark and felt quite depressive as we travelled from Lucknow towards Ayodhyā. Then, at one point amidst this gloom, I realised I was feeling happy. I wondered, what is wrong with me? We are not supposed to be happy; we are supposed to suffer—or so the old idea goes. Then I realised we had crossed a 60-kilometre border; we had entered the 60-kilometre radius of Ayodhyā. The people of India were so overwhelmingly happy about the Rāma Mandir returning that this happiness permeated the very air everywhere. As an invited guest, I was essentially alone, so I stayed with some Indian friends—one Swami and others. We roamed around the city. We had darśan and went to the river Sarayū. The Sarayū is a tributary of the Gaṅgā, flowing from the Himalayas and merging with the Gaṅgā; it is considered a very holy river. I brought water from it for the opening of Om Āśram so we could offer it to the Śiva Liṅgam. We visited the place where Tulsīdās wrote his Rāmcaritmānas, went to a Hanumān temple, and many other places. I have shared pictures on Facebook. The overarching point was the palpable happiness in the air; the people were genuinely, profoundly happy. The opening ceremony, when any statue is installed, is officially called prāṇapratiṣṭhā, meaning giving life to the statue. Technically speaking, however, Rāma was always there. This has been considered a very holy spot for millennia; Rāma's sons are said to have founded it and built a temple. Many sacred events have occurred there. This ceremony was a formality to officially mark Rāma's return. The security was extremely tight, with five, six, seven layers of checking. I was seated with our Rajasthani friends, with people from Asotra, and with many sādhus and Mahāmaṇḍaleśvaras. The program, which you might have watched on television, lasted about eight hours. Watching on screen, you cannot fully grasp the emotions. It was truly beautiful, with many singers performing Rāma bhajans. At one point, I felt sad that Swāmījī was in Europe and could not attend, but eight hours is still eight hours. It was profoundly beautiful. This temple is a unifying point for India. India became physically free from English rule in 1947, as we were reminded recently. Now, slowly, the Indian mentality is becoming free from any kind of foreign intellectual or cultural domination, and Indian thought is opening up more for everyone. Thus, Ayodhyā is a step for India—a step towards mental freedom, educational freedom, and similar ideals. That is why it is so important. It took 500 years, and it was achieved not by destruction, not by bomb blasts and then building a temple, but through consensus. As we say, "Ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ" (Non-violence is the supreme duty). It was done in the spirit of ahiṃsā. Of course, many people issued threats. Even Modijī said in his speech, "People are saying they will set fire to Ayodhyā." He responded, "Why set fire? Bring light. Spread light all around." With this step of the Ayodhyā temple, India has, let us say, reached a different stage. It has moved towards mental freedom. It is very, very important. The next day, in a huge tent, we met with the Yogī and many other VIPs—many good people. Everyone knows about Om Āśram and Swāmījī. When I showed Swāmījī's picture from my phone, many offered praṇāms to him. People were sad he was not there. It was a huge happening, and I was truly lucky to be able to represent us. I was happy to have grasped its importance firsthand. Had I not been there, I would not be able to convey this to you, for it comes from direct experience—feeling the happiness of the people present. At that time, there were only about five or six thousand of us; the next day, a hundred thousand came. It is a monumental event. With this, I will conclude my thoughts on Ayodhyā. Siddhi Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Kī Jaya, Deveśvara Mahādeva, Kī Jaya, Hindudhāraṇa Samrāṭ Mārvaṇandajī Bhagavān, Kī Jaya, Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvarānandajī Gurudeva, Kī Jaya.