A life-size digital display of the Hindu deity Lord Ram and the Ram Temple has come up on one of the most expensive digital billboards at Times Square in New York on Wednesday to mark the foundation stone laying ceremony of the temple.
"India has arrived on world arena. This century, this decade belongs to India. It is a proud moment for India and Indians," says Jagdish Sewhani, President of the American India Public Affairs Committee.
The display, which lit up at 10 am, will continue till 10 pm to mark the celebration of the laying of the temple's foundation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the construction of the temple with prayers at the temple site in a grand ceremony.
Earlier, there were claims that Muslim groups in the US had announced that advertising company Branded Cities, which runs the digital advertisement board in Times Square for Nasdaq, “refused to run digital advertisements” for right-wing Hindu groups who had planned to display images of Lord Ram.
Hindus in India celebrated the day by lighting up earthern lamps at their homes in the evening.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother also celebrated the day.
The construction of the Ram Temple holds immense importance for Hindus, as it has been claimed that Mughal ruler Babur had erected a mosque by demolishing the temple, which is the birthplace of deity Lord Ram. The mosque was razed in 1992, but the legal dispute between Muslims and Hindus was only resolved by the Supreme Court last year when it announced a verdict in the favour of Hindus.