It’s not India alone; the world is celebrating the reclamation of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, for the grand temple of Rāma to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 January. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of America organised an Epic Tesla Musical Light Show in Maryland state of the United States today, placing their cars in a pattern with their headlights switched on, which read “RAM” (the Hindi pronunciation of “Rāma”).

Americans from the Hindu community held flags at the event, inscribed with images of Rama and raising slogans like “Jai Sri Ram” and “Ram, Lakshman, Janaki — Jai Sri Hanuman Ki”.

Organisers of the US chapter of the VHP synced the Tesla Car Light Show to the tune of “Jai Sri Ram”. Parked in a pattern in the ‘Ram’ formation, more than 150 cars participated in the show. Indian Americans from Washington, Virginia and Maryland beamed bright and colourful lights from Tesla bars.

The cars parked at Sri Bhakta Anjaneya Temple in Maryland, situated on a street named the ‘Ayodhya Way’.

On 13 January, Indians in the US organised a car rally in Edison, New Jersey where more than 350 cars participated. Hindus held flags inscribed with images of Rāma and several cars queued up on the streets.

In the middle of the ongoing events and celebrations across the globe ahead of the prāna pratishthā (consecration) at the Rāma Temple in Ayodhya on 22 January, giant billboards of Rāma and the majestic temple in the Uttar Pradesh town greet people on the streets of more than 10 states of the US.

The US chapter of the VHP, in association with Hindus from across the US, put up more than 40 billboards in 10 states and more, displaying the message with the announcement that the prāna pratishthā will be held at the birthplace of the seventh incarnation of Vishnu in Ayodhya on 22 January.

These billboards can be seen in Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and other states. Arizona and the State of Missouri will join the celebration starting Monday, 15 January, sources in the VHP, US chapter, said. “The resounding message conveyed by these billboards is that Hindu Americans are elated and joyously participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event. Their emotions overflow as they eagerly await the auspicious day of the consecration ceremony,” Amitabh Mittal, general secretary of the Hindu Parishad of America, said.

“The Hindu community in New Jersey is brimming with joy, eagerly anticipating the upcoming Car Rally, Exhibition, Curtain Raiser, Billboards across New York New Jersey, and the grand celebration slated for the 21st night. The enthusiasm is palpable, with members from Mandirs across NJ eagerly looking forward to this once-in-a-generation event,” Teja A Shah, joint general secretary of VHP, America chapter, said.

To commemorate the inauguration of the temple in Ayodhya, the Hindu American community across the US has organised several car rallies and planned many more events in the run-up to the prāna pratishthā in Ayodhya.

“The Hindu community in New Jersey is brimming with joy, eagerly anticipating the upcoming Car Rally, Exhibition, Curtain Raiser, Billboards across New York New Jersey, and the grand celebration slated for the 21st night. The enthusiasm is palpable, with members from Mandirs across NJ eagerly looking forward to this once-in-a-generation event,” said Teja A Shah, joint general secretary of the US chapter of the VHP.

To commemorate the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Hindu American community across the US has organised several car rallies and has planned many more events in the run-up to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ in Ayodhya.

Meanwhile, the president of the Mauritius Sanatan Dharm Temples Federation, Bhojraj Ghoorbin, said that all temples in Mauritius would organise a Ramayan Chanting event to celebrate the prāna pratishthā in the murti of Rama in Ayodhya. He said, “In Mauritius, all our Hindu brothers and sisters are in a different mood nowadays. As from the Sankranti, on January 15, all our mandirs in Mauritius are doing the Ramayan chanting. And especially on the 22^nd, we are having the same as we used to celebrate Diwali. In Mauritius, we are celebrating two Diwali.”

Ghoorbin said, “The first Diwali is on 22 January, and the second Diwali is on 31 October. We will do it the same as we all know: after 14 years of vanvas (exile), Prabhu Shri Ram is coming to Ayodhya. So, this time, not after 14 years, Prabhu Ram is coming after 500 years.”

Ghoorbin also said that a day before the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a cultural programme would be held and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth would attend the event as a chief guest.

Prime Minister Modi will attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Sri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on 22 January.

A host of leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to the grand temple opening in Ayodhya. According to temple officials, the ceremony will be held over seven days starting 16 January, the day after tomorrow.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on 22 January. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on 16 January, a week before the main ceremony.

Last Wednesday, the Indian envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu said Ramayan was a bridge across geographies that taught people about the complexities of human relationships and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

Speaking at an event at the US Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, titled “Ramayana across Asia and Beyond”, the Indian envoy said, “Ramayan and its shared heritage across the Indo-Pacific. The lessons and tales from Ramayan are passed down from generations and it is hard to say exactly when one learns them. It’s as if one was born with them. The epic gives insights into the complexities of human relationships, governance and spirituality, dharma or duty, justice, sacrifice, loyalty, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. The Ramayan has something to teach us about each of these themes, among many other things.”

“The Ramayan is also a bridge across geographies. Stories from the epic are well known in many countries across Indo-Pacific, from Cambodia to Indonesia, from Thailand to Laos. The epic has been reimagined, retold, and included in the artistic, literary, and religious traditions of various societies incorporating their unique cultural nuances. I have been personally witness to this influence of Ramayan across boundaries,” Ambassador Sandhu added.