NEW DELHI: The construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya is much more than a religious affair and the structure will stand as a tribute to the best of timeless human values, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday.
He also said that Lord Ram's conduct and values constitute the core of the consciousness of India, cutting across all kinds of divisions and barriers, and they are still relevant today.
In a Facebook post marking the foundation laying ceremony of Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir on Wednesday, he said the construction of a temple for Lord Ram at his birthplace is more a re-coronation of the highest human values of truth, morality and ideals that the 'maryada purushottam' epitomised during his life.
"As the King of Ayodhya, he led an exemplary life, worthy of emulation by the common men and other nobles," he said.
Naidu and his wife Usha on Wednesday also recited Ramayana at the Vice President's House to mark the 'bhoomi punjan' ceremony at Ayodhya.
The family members of the vice president donated Rs 5 lakh each for the fight against COVID-19 and for the construction of Ram temple, an official statement said.
In his social media post, Naidu expressed happiness at the ceremony, saying the Ram temple will continue to remind and reinforce the ethos of the motherland which is universal in application without any discrimination.
Naidu also lauded Iqbal Ansari, son of late Hashim Ansari, one of the parties to the land title dispute, for urging the people to forget the past and move on in the true spirit of India.
His words of wisdom offer useful guidance for all, he said.
The vice president termed this day the beginning of a new era of mutual respect for all faiths and harmonious co-existence that should spur the building of an India of the dreams of every aspiring citizen of the country.