A historic moment unfolded in Ayodhya as Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the ‘Dharma Dhwaj’, a saffron flag adorned with sacred symbols, atop the Ram Mandir, marking the completion of the temple’s structure. The right-angled triangular flag, measuring 10 feet by 20 feet, features three symbols deeply rooted in India’s civilisational and spiritual memory: the Sun, the sacred Om, and the Kovidara tree.
This flag, recreated after centuries, is believed to represent the ancient emblem of Ayodhya, the capital of Lord Ram’s Suryavanshi dynasty. Rediscovered by Indologist Lalit Mishra, the design was inspired by depictions in the Mewar pictorial Ramayana and references in Valmiki Ramayana’s Ayodhya Kand.
The Symbols of Ayodhya’s Eternal Heritage
Each element on the Dharma Dhwaj embodies a profound spiritual and cultural meaning:
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The Sun: Symbolises the Suryavansha, the solar lineage of Lord Ram, representing power, righteousness, and light that dispels ignorance.
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The Om: The eternal sound of creation, expressing spiritual continuity, universal truth, and cosmic order, the very essence of Sanatan Dharma.
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The Kovidara Tree: A sacred tree created by Rishi Kashyap through the hybridisation of the Mandar and Parijat trees. It signifies royal virtue, strength, and Ayodhya’s ancient scientific and cultural sophistication.
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Lalit Mishra, who painstakingly reconstructed the flag’s design, noted that the tradition of the Ayodhya flag was lost after the Mahabharata era, when the last known king of Ayodhya, Brihadbal, perished in battle. Over time, the memory of the tree and flag faded from scriptures and retellings, until its rediscovery restored a missing link in India’s civilisational story.
PM Modi: “This Flag is the Rebirth of Our Civilisation”
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi described the Dharma Dhwaj not merely as a flag but as a living emblem of India’s civilisational rejuvenation.
“This Dharma Dhwaj is not just a flag. It is the flag of the rejuvenation of Indian civilisation. The Saffron colour, Suryavansh’s signia, the ‘Om’ word, and the Kovidara tree impersonate Ram Rajya’s glory. This flag is a resolution, a success, a story of struggle to creation,” he said.
PM Modi emphasised that the flag will stand as a timeless proclamation of Lord Ram’s values, truth, Dharma, equality, and compassion. He added that the ideals embodied in the Dharma Dhwaj will guide Bharat for thousands of years, symbolising the nation’s eternal quest for Dharm, peace, and prosperity.
