Prime Minister Narendra Modi chanted "Siyavar Ram Chandra ki Jai!" and "Jai Siya Ram" as he addressed a gathering of spiritual leaders after laying the first brick for a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya. "Today, this chant is not only reverberating in Ayodhya but across the world," said the Prime Minister. PM Modi participated in a "Bhoomi Pujan" or a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the construction of the temple. PM Modi, who in 1990 was one of the organisers of the nationwide campaign for a temple at the site where the 16th-century Babri mosque once stood, participated in religious rituals before laying the silver brick to symbolise the construction of the temple. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mohan Bhagwat - the chief of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and around 170 spiritual leaders attended the ceremony. Soil from almost 2,000 holy sites around India and water of around 100 holy rivers will be used in the temple foundation. This marked PM Modi’s first visit in 29 years. He prayed at a Hanuman temple before laying a 40-kg silver brick in Ram Janmabhoomi, at a site disputed for decades until the Supreme Court handed over ownership to Hindus in 2019.