Sunil Lahri on seeing Ram Lalla idol in a tent: ‘I felt very bad’

Sunil Lahri, who played the role of Laxman in Ramanand Sagar’s TV series Ramayan, has described January 22 as a “historic day” for India when the idol of Ram Lalla will be consecrated at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The veteran actor said that when he visited Ayodhya for the first time over three decades ago, he saw the idol of Lord Ram in a tent and “I felt very bad”. “I told myself, look at this place, this is where Lord Ram was born and now he has been kept in such a place. It was very pathetic. I feel that over time, justice has moved in the right direction,” Sunil Lahri said.

The _Ramayan_ actor sees the consecration ceremony on January 22 as the “biggest achievement” for which “India was struggling for over 500 years”. “A lot of effort, sacrifice and labour has gone into it. I think it is going to be a historic day for India,” he said. Sunil Lahri on Lord Ram, Sanatan Dharm Lahri, said Laxman, the character of Lord Ram’s younger brother that he played in the TV series Ramayan, signifies honesty, dedication, simplicity and standing for the right cause. “Laxman is a character who does not support anything wrong.” “Laxman was always a shadow of Lord Ram. Ram was basically calm, quiet and very composed and Laxman was exactly the opposite. Ram and Laxman are the two natures of a human being. You have to be Ram at places, and at other places, you have to be a Laxman,” he said. Asked to comment on the negative remarks made by some people about Sanatan Dharma, Lahri said, “They probably do not understand what Sanatan Dharm is.” “Sanatan Dharm has a king-size heart and has the power to absorb all negativities. People from foreign nations are increasingly adopting Sanatan Dharm as they find inner peace through it.” Ram Temple consecration ceremony On the transformation of Ayodhya ahead of the Monday event which will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other dignitaries in attendance, the actor said, the temple town has undergone a sea change and it will become a class city in future. Streetlights on flyovers decorated with artworks depicting Lord Ram, his bow and arrow and ornamental lamp posts carrying designs themed on the traditional ‘Ramanandi tilak’, Ayodhya is all decked up ahead of the consecration ceremony at the temple. Last month, PM Modi inaugurated the new Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in the temple town of Ayodhya and also launched the redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station.