Ayodhya’s ancient flag, believed to have been lost for millennia, is set to return to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple with three sacred symbols -- Om, the Sun, and the Kovidara tree. The flag will be hoisted on November 25 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat. This would also mark the completion of the temple’s main construction.
The flag’s revival follows a discovery by Indologist Lalit Mishra, who said he first spotted the forgotten emblem in a painting from the pictorial Ramayana of Mewar. He later traced scriptural references in Ayodhya Kand of the Valmiki Ramayana, confirming that Ayodhya once had a distinctive flag carrying these three signs.
Three symbols on the resurrected flag
Om
Encircling the design is Om, regarded in Hindu tradition as the eternal primordial sound. The temple committee approved the inclusion of Om to complete the ancient configuration described in texts, states Mishra.
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, which scriptures describe as a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap. This hybridisation, as pointed out by Mishra, could reflect one of the earliest references to plant experimentation in ancient India.
The Indologist stated he had initially confused the Kovidar with the Kachnar tree because they share the same botanical name. Later, help came from botanists at Banaras Hindu University, Prof Gyaneshwar Chaube and Prof Abhishek Dwivedi, who studied descriptions from the Ramayana and Harivamsha Purana to distinguish the two species. They confirmed that the tree depicted on Ayodhya’s ancient flag was indeed the Kovidara.
The scholars have also proposed that the government undertake a genetic study to investigate the plant’s origins, "It may show that scientific orientation and experimentation were happening in ancient India," Mishra said.
According to Mishra, the tradition tied to Ayodhya’s original flag vanished after the Mahabharata war. He said the death of Ayodhya’s king, Brihadbal, in the war plunged the kingdom into decline, breaking the continuity of knowledge.
As a result, even Kalidasa’s works only mention the beauty of the tree, not its symbolic role. Over time, none of the nearly 299 later Ramayana versions referenced the flag or its emblem.
Mishra described his find as accidental, "I saw Ayodhya’s flag in one of the paintings of the pictorial Ramayana of Mewar. I then found a reference in the Valmiki Ramayana’s Ayodhya Kand. I am glad the flag is back in the place it originated after such a long time."
Preparations are underway in Ayodhya for the grand event.
A specially crafted flag, made in Ahmedabad and designed to withstand sun, rain, and wind, will be mounted on the temple spire. The ceremony will mark the completion of the sanctum sanctorum and the primary structure, which includes six subsidiary temples dedicated to Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Suryadev, Bhagwati, Annapurna, and the Sheshavatar.
At present, devotees can access the sanctum sanctorum and the first floor; additional areas will open once the spire installation and flag hoisting are completed.
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