A galaxy of guests from an array of fields and industries converged in Ayodhya to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on Monday morning, packing the 2.77-acre complex as the rituals unfolded, before becoming the first devotees to pay obeisance to the idol of the infant Lord Ram, or Ram Lalla.

The usually quiet temple town throbbed with life, its airport filled with private aircraft, as an invited audience of nearly 8.000, including sportspeople, actors, businesspeople, spiritual leaders and politicians watched Prime Minister Narendra Modi perform the pran pratistha of the 51-inch idol.

The guests included a slew of celebrities from the Hindi film industry, including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Katrina Kaif and Ayushmann Khurrana.

As he left the venue, Rajinikanth said he would visit the town every year.

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“It was a historic event and I am very fortunate. I will definitely visit Ayodhya every year,” he said.

Chiranjeevi, meanwhile, said, “This is a God-given opportunity, we are really happy to be here.”

Khurrana called the ceremony a “historic event”. “Everybody should visit Ayodhya, it’s beautiful,” he said.

Ram Charan, who starred in the Academy Award-winning RRR, said the moment was a blessing. “It was so beautiful. A once in a lifetime [opportunity]. It’s an honour for everybody to witness this, to be born in our India and witness this. This is truly a blessing,” said the actor, who works primarily in Telugu films.

Noted musicians, including Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Paudwal and Malini Awasthi were among those present during the consecration ceremony.

Nigam also sang a rendition of the Ram bhajan “Ram Siya Ram” at the event, minutes before the pran pratisthta ceremony began.

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“I have little to say,” an emotional Nigam said moments after he entered the sprawling venue.

Singer Hariharan said, “I had tears of joy in my eyes…I can’t describe this moment in words, everyone here is so happy.”

Cricketers Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatesh Prasad, Mithali Raj and badminton player Saina Nehwal were at the ceremony as well.

“To be a part of this occasion is itself a wonderful feeling and really blessed. This is my first visit to Ayodhya and I am hoping to come a lot more and seek his divine blessings,” said Kumble.

A string of senior industrialists also paid obeisance at the venue, including Mukesh Ambani — who was accompanied by his wife Nita Ambani, their son Akash and his wife Shloka Mehta Ambani – Kumar Mangalam Birla, Sunil Mittal and Anil Ambani.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy also visited the temple.

“It is a historical event today. We have a firm belief in Lord Ram, whom we call ‘Purushottam’,” said Deve Gowda.