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Indologist Lalit Mishra claimed that he discovered the flag while examining a photograph from the Vishwa Ramayana of Mewar. Later he discovered its validity in the Ayodhya episode of Valmiki Ramayana.
According to The Economic Times, the flag, which has deep mythological and historical significance, will be hoisted at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple on November 25 to commemorate the completion of the main building.
lost flag of ayodhya It is claimed to contain three symbols: the Kovidra tree, the Sun and Om.
According to Mishra, Surya (Surya) symbolizes the Suryavansh lineage of Lord Rama, Om denotes the eternal spiritual sound, and the Kovidra tree is a mythological hybrid. It was composed by sage Kashyap from Mandar and Parijat trees, symbolizing ancient botanical knowledge and hybridization of plants.
Mishra initially mistook Kovidara for the Kachnar tree due to their similar scientific names. He later worked with botanists at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to resolve the dispute.
Banaras Hindu University professors Dnyaneshwar Chaubey and Abhishek Dwivedi later confirmed Mishra’s theory and pointed out that the characteristics described in the Ramayana and Harivansh Purana indicate a separate species rather than just Kachnar.
Explaining how the memory of the flag was lost, Mishra recalled that Ayodhya was reported to be in ruins after the death of its king Brihadbal after the Mahabharata war. They argue that this violated tradition and that over time, people lost awareness of the flag and the sacred tree.
Furthermore, this particular tree and flag were not mentioned in more than 299 later versions of the Ramayana. “So now I am very happy that it has been discovered and it has found its place,” Mishra told ANI News.
“I saw the flag of Ayodhya in a painting,” Mishra said, calling the discovery “unintentional” as well as extremely significant. “I found its reference in…Valmiki Ramayana…I am happy that after such a long time, the flag is back at the place from where it originated,” he said.
Additionally, Mishra asked the government to research the genetic structure of the Kovidara tree as he believed it would showcase the botanical achievements of ancient India. He proposed that this discovery might change the historical perspective: this flag might reflect an early Indian contribution to the concept, whereas Greek civilization is usually credited with sovereignty.
The pinnacle of the temple will be decorated with a specially designed flag, made in Ahmedabad, which is resistant to wind, rain and sun.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS president Mohan Bhagwat, among others, will be present at the upcoming flag hoisting ceremony, which will mark the completion of the main building of the Ram temple.
The event will mark the completion of the main construction, which includes six subsidiary temples honoring Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, Suryadev, Bhagwati, Annapurna and Sheshavatara.
Devotees can now visit the first floor and the sanctum sanctorum; Additional areas will become available after the completion of the flag hoisting and installation work.