The stage is set for the grand inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22nd as week-long consecration rituals commenced on Tuesday morning. Elaborate preparations are underway in the temple town which is decked up to celebrate the historic moment.
As per the schedule released by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the consecration ceremony, or ‘Prana Pratishthan’ will be spread over seven days starting January 16 till January 21. The formal installation of the deity idol of Ram Lalla will take place on January 22.
The rituals involve purification baths, application of cosmetics, perfumed oils, and clothing on the idol as per Vedic traditions. Chants, havans, and offerings to the deity are also part of the rituals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at the inauguration along with UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. Over 7,000 other invitees include eminent dignitaries like cricketing icons Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
However, the four Shankaracharyas of Badrikashram, Puri, Sringeri, and Dwarka have declined to attend the ceremony citing pending completion of construction work. However several Hindu seers asserted that consecration can be done as temple construction progresses, giving an example of the Somnath temple.
Ayodhya has been decorated with flowers and lights for the mega event. Billboards with Ramayana scenes adorn the roads. The temple trust has sought to recreate Treta Yug’s grandeur in preparations for the inauguration of this important place of worship.
The construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been a long-standing demand of the Hindu community to build a temple at the site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Supreme Court paved the way for its construction in 2019.
