Ram Lalla plays his first Holi in Ayodhya temple: See him with gulal and pichkari

Here's how Ram Lalla experienced his inaugural Holi amid the lively ambiance of Ayodhya's Ram temple

The grand Ram temple in Ayodhya marked its first Holi celebration since its opening earlier this year in January. As dawn broke, a multitude of devotees converged to join in the joyous festivities, adorning the revered Ram Lalla idol with vibrant colors and sharing sweets as offerings within the sacred confines of the temple.

The temple priests orchestrated a ceremonial Holi celebration, engaging in the age-old tradition of playing Holi, accompanied by the customary offerings of abir and gulal as part of the Raag Bhog rituals.

Ram Lalla held a sprinkler pichkari in his divine hand and priests applied gulal on him and a total of 56 different dishes were offered as prasad to the idol.

The celebration stretched beyond the temple's boundaries, with crowds of devotees gathering outside to partake in the Rangotsav festivities as the spirit of Holi engulfed the historic city of Ayodhya.

"Ramlalla is celebrating his first Holi after his consecration in the temple. His charming idol was decorated with flowers, gulaal has been applied on the forehead. On this occasion, the idol of Ram Lalla wore a pink dress," said Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the temple.

In a grand ceremony overseen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol took place on January 22nd. Crafted from unique black granite sourced from Karnataka, the 51-inch idol stands as a testament to devotion and craftsmanship.