Lord Ram is a symbol of governance, PM Modi said (File/ANI)
Noting that the entire country is steeped in devotion ahead of the Pran Pratishtha event at Ayodhya temple on January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the expanse of Lord Ram's life, his inspiration is much beyond devotion and He is a symbol of good governance in social life.
The Prime Minister, who inaugurated the new campus of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics, expressed confidence that NACIN will create new dimensions for good governance, and will propel trade and commerce in India.
The Prime Minister, who made several references to Ramayana in his speech, said the entire country is "Rammay".
"The entire country is Rammay, is filled with devotion to Lord Ram but Lord Ram's life's expanse, his inspiration, faith...is much beyond devotion. Lord Ram is a symbol of governance, good governance in social life, which can be a big inspiration for your institution," he said.
The Prime Minister also referred to his visit to Veerbhadra Temple in Lepakshi area of the state earlier in the day and said he listened to verses from the Ranganatha Ramayan, which is in Telugu.
He said people believe that Lord Ram had interacted with Jatayu near this place.
"You know that ahead of Pran Prathistha in Ayodhya, I am on an 11-day special ritual. I feel blessed to have visited the temple during this auspicious period," PM Modi said.
It is said that Lepakshi is the place where Jatayu, after having been grievously wounded by Ravan who had abducted Sita, fell. It is also said that Jatayu told Lord Ram that Sita was taken south by Ravan and was then granted moksha by Lord Ram.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ramlala at the temple at Ayodhya will take place on January 22.
PM Modi said NACIN should provide India with a modern ecosystem for trade and commerce.
He said it should create a friendly environment to make India an important partner for global trade and promote ease of doing business through tax, customs and narcotics.
"We should use the money collected in the form of tax collection for social welfare. India used to have a complicated tax structure. With GST, we provided the country with a unique taxation system, bringing in transparency. We began a faceless tax assessment system. Due to all these efforts, there has been an unprecedented increase in tax collections. The collections are kept in the State treasury and returned to people in the form of various initiatives," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)