'Ram Lalla Rises' To 'Political Mileage': How Indian Media Covered Ram Mandir

Here's how leading Indian newspapers covered the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram Mandir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir on Monday, 22 January. 

(Photo: PTI)

Abundant in its praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The Times of India said in an article titled 'Dev to Desh, Ram to Rashtra': 

"It was one of the most important speeches of his public life, and PM Narendra Modi did full justice to it. Widely acknowledged as a powerful orator, Modi adroitly blended raw emotion, rhetorical flourishes, subtle political messaging, the occasional touch of humour and many references to the importance of mass prosperity and technology."

In an article titled 'For Whom the Temple Tolls', The Telegraph linked the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir to the Bharatiya Janata Party's electoral prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.  

In its front page article, The Hindu published fragments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech following the 'pran prathishtha' at the Ram Temple. 

Business Standard's coverage was along the same lines as The Hindu's, as it spoke of various aspects of PM Modi's speech. 

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday threw open a magnificent new Ram Temple in Ayodhya, turning the page on arguably India’s most fractious dispute and fulfilling one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) core electoral promises in an event that could have a lasting impact on religion and politics in the country," stated Hindustan Times' front page story, titled 'Ram Lalla Rises in Ayodhya'.

In its comprehensive coverage of the Ram Mandir event, The Indian Express titled its front page article 'January 22, 2024' and reflected on the various happenings of the day – from the consecration ceremony to what the Opposition was engaged in.