Actor Dev Sharma, best known for his recent portrayal of Lord Ram in Shri Ramayan Katha, has shared a personal account of witnessing what he described as a spontaneous display of Hindu-Muslim harmony in Nainital during the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya in 2024. Speaking publicly about the experience, Sharma said the moment left him shaken and moved.

What Sharma Witnessed in Nainital

Sharma recounted that he was on a shoot near the Naina Devi temple in Nainital when the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony was taking place in Ayodhya. He said reports of communal tensions in various parts of the country were circulating at the time, and people on location advised him to avoid the area near a mosque adjacent to the temple route.

'I was hearing everywhere that riots were happening somewhere, this was happening somewhere, that was happening somewhere,' he recalled.

The Procession and the Mosque

According to Sharma, a Ram yatra began from the Naina Devi temple, with the procession passing directly in front of the mosque. He said both sides of the mosque gates were open and the premises were filled with people who had just finished their prayers. The atmosphere, he said, was tense with anticipation.

'Everyone felt that something was going to happen because the whole crowd had gathered there,' he said.

What followed, he said, defied those expectations entirely.

Muslims Joined the Celebrations, Says Sharma

Sharma said Muslims who had assembled at the mosque came out and joined the procession, dancing to devotional songs. 'You won't believe it. I would like to tell all the audience of India, all the viewers, all the people: every Muslim, whether he was wearing a cap or not, came out and danced to the song of Lalla Shri Ram,' he said.

'And they danced in such a way that we were amazed by how happy they were. We were wondering, what is happening?' he added. Sharma also attributed the spirit of unity he witnessed partly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, 'So maybe this is the work of Modi ji, that he has brought everyone together.'

'I still get goosebumps because whenever I remember it, I am surprised. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, these identities are created by humans. God is the same for everyone,' he said.

About Shri Ramayan Katha and Dev Sharma

Sharma's account comes around the release of Shri Ramayan Katha, in which he played the lead role of Lord Ram. The film, directed by Abhishek Singh, also stars Anjali Arora, Sheela Verma, and Rajneesh Duggal. While Sharma's portrayal received positive responses from some quarters, the film itself drew criticism from sections of the audience over its handling of the source material, with viewers raising questions about its mythological accuracy, storytelling, and what they described as deviations from established accounts.

Sharma's recollection, shared publicly in September 2026, adds to an ongoing cultural conversation about communal relations in India and the broader societal resonance of the Ayodhya temple's consecration.