Ram Mandir Dhwajarohan 2025: Om, the Sun, and the Kovidara tree — Ayodhya’s ancient flag, lost for millennia, is set to return with these sacred symbols to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The flag will be hoisted by PM Narendra Modi today. Why have these sacred symbols been included in the new flag?
About the Flag
The saffron flag, measuring 10 feet high and 20 feet long, carries deep symbolism rooted in India’s civilisational heritage. Saffron, traditionally linked with sacrifice, purity, and dharma, signifies the rise of righteousness. This monumental flag will be hoisted atop the temple’s 191-foot shikhara.
According to a Moneycontrol report, the flag’s revival was inspired by research by Indologist Lalit Mishra, who first noticed the forgotten emblem in a painting from the pictorial Ramayana of Mewar. He later traced references in the Ayodhya Kand of the Valmiki Ramayana, confirming that Ayodhya once had a distinct flag bearing these three symbols.
A specially crafted flag, made in Ahmedabad and built to withstand sun, rain, and wind, will be installed on the temple’s spire. The ceremony will mark the completion of the sanctum sanctorum and the main structure, which includes six subsidiary temples dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Suryadev, Bhagwati, Annapurna, and the Sheshavatar.
For now, devotees can visit the sanctum sanctorum and the first floor; additional areas will open once the spire is installed and the flag is hoisted.
Three symbols on the resurrected flag
Om
The design is surrounded by the symbol Om, which is considered the eternal, original sound in Hindu tradition. Mishra says the temple committee approved adding Om so that the flag matches the ancient description found in old texts.
The Sun (Surya)
The Sun symbol represents Lord Ram’s lineage from the Suryavansha. According to Mishra, the committee accepted the motif to reflect Ram’s royal ancestry, “Bhagwan Ram belonged to the Suryavamsa, so we put a sun symbol on the flag,” he told ANI.
The Kovidara tree
At the heart of the emblem is the Kovidara tree. The tree scriptures described as a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap. Mishra believes that this hybridisation reflects one of the earliest references to plant experimentation in ancient India.
Kovidar and Kanchar tree
The Indologist said he had first mistaken the Kovidara tree for the Kachnar because both share the same botanical name. Later, botanists from Banaras Hindu University — Prof. Gyaneshwar Chaube and Prof. Abhishek Dwivedi — examined descriptions from the Ramayana and the Harivamsha Purana to tell the two species apart. They confirmed that the tree shown on Ayodhya’s ancient flag was in fact the Kovidara.
