Suva, Jan 22 (IANS) The first anniversary of the ‘Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony)’ of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir (inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on January 22 last year) was celebrated by the Hindu diaspora in Fiji in large numbers.
The occasion saw the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka and Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Biman Prasad joining in the festivities as part of a special event, ‘Harmony in Oneness: Sabme Ram, Sabke Ram’, organised by the Indian Minorities Federation in the island country.
As ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants reverberated in the air, members of the Hindu diaspora of Fiji sent a brick for the grand Ram Mandir.
Fiji PM and Deputy PM were also presented with the replica of the sacred idol of Lord Ram from the Ayodhya temple along with holy water of Saryu River by Rajya Sabha MP and Indian Minorities Federation convener Satnam Singh Sandhu.
Speaking on the occasion, Fiji’s PM Rabuka said, “It is a great venture in the right direction for the world, not only for Hindus and India. I congratulate the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), my friend. He became re-elected (as PM) after we met, so congratulations again and I would like to make sure that he gets the message that Fiji is still here. We are committed to our journey of peace, a journey which he has been on for long.”
Praising PM Modi’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ for ensuring everybody develops and prospers together, the Fiji PM said, “I believe ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ is a great governance model which PM Modi is practising which ensures inclusive development for all. I think the world should adopt it for making it a better place to live”.
The Fijian PM said PM Modi has become an icon for peace and Hindus all over the world.
“Having the confidence of those in India is a big number. So, I congratulate him for that. The oneness in that journey of Hindus in the world will eventually translate into oneness in the peoples of the world,” Rabuka said.
In his address, the Deputy PM of Fiji, Biman Prasad said, “On behalf of all the citizens of Fiji, I am very grateful to the popular Prime Minister of India. Last year, I got a golden opportunity to become the first leader to reach there after the consecration of Ram Mandir and the way the temple has been built is a matter of pride for all of us Hindus.”
“People like us who had come many miles away from India had brought the Ramayan. When this temple was built on the birthplace of Ram, it was a special thing for all of us and for this I am giving special thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His popularity all over the world is a matter of pride for all of us Indians. The temple in Ayodhya is very grand, thousands and lakhs of people are going there for darshan,” he added.
The Deputy PM further said, “Many people from Fiji are going to visit the Ram temple, because all our Indian people in Fiji have a very old relationship with the country. Every citizen with Indian roots hopes that he could go to India one day. Every year people from here visit India, visit temples. Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Fiji in 2014 and recently he met our Prime Minister. The highest honour of Fiji was given to PM Modi by our country. Our Prime Minister has met him and respectfully calls him ‘Boss Sahab.’”
Members of the Hindu diaspora also expressed joy on the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony and said PM Modi has inspired Sanatan Dharam globally.
They said that the ancient Indian culture and Sanatan Dharam is well-imbibed in the lifestyle of PM Modi, who has taken inspiration from Ramayan as well as the Bhagavad Gita.
Thanking PM Modi for making Lord Rama’s grand temple at his birthplace in Ayodhya a reality and connecting Indians in 122 countries all over the world with the historic and once-in-a-lifetime event after a wait of over 500 years, the Hindu diaspora said the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has become the global capital of Hinduism and it would not have been possible without the visionary leadership of PM Modi.
The Indian diaspora said by unifying Hindus all over the world, PM Modi has not only become an icon for Sanatan Dharam, but also an icon for peace and harmony across the world. They said under the leadership of PM Modi, Sanatan Dharam has flourished across the world, giving Hindus in Fiji and beyond a sense of hope and pride.
–IANS
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