When PM Modi chose to hail Lord Ram with ‘Jai Siya Ram’ chant instead of the popular 'Jai Shri Ram' after the bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya on Wednesday, it left many curious.
Since the launch of the Ram Temple movement in 1984, 'Jai Shri Ram' has been the most popular mode of greeting among the saffron forces. It took the form of a war cry in the heat of the temple moment.
However, votaries of 'Jai Siya Ram' believed that ‘Jai Shri Ram’ was a militarised way of greeting and took away the benevolence and benign nature. It also de-emphasised the role of Sita. They felt that 'Jai Siya Ram' represented the benign character of Ram -- who is known as “maryada purushottam” -- and the tenderness and humility expected from him by his believers in the Hindi belt.