Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration Live Updates: Ayodhya, the revered city associated with Lord Ram, is gearing up for a grand event as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate in the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the newly built Ram Mandir today.
During the auspicious ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ritual, the idol of Ram Lalla, representing the young Lord Ram, will be consecrated. This significant event is expected to draw a diverse crowd, including key figures from various religious and spiritual groups across India, representatives from different tribal communities, and notable personalities.
The ceremony is slated to commence at 12.20 pm and is anticipated to conclude around 1 pm, as per the temple trust. Post the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address those gathered.
Furthermore, “Prime Minister Modi will engage with the workers who contributed to the temple’s construction,” revealed a member of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, responsible for overseeing the temple’s construction and management.
Prime Minister Modi is also set to visit Kuber Tila, which is home to a recently restored ancient Shiv temple, where he will perform a ‘pooja’.
The striking Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir, designed in the traditional Nagara architectural style, boasts dimensions of 380 feet in length, 250 feet in width, and 161 feet in height. The temple is supported by 392 pillars and features 44 doors.
Its pillars and walls are adorned with elaborate carvings depicting various Hindu deities. In the temple’s main sanctum sanctorum on the ground floor, the idol of Ram Lalla is placed.
The preparatory rituals for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ began on January 16 from the Saryu river and will culminate on Monday afternoon during the ‘abhijeet muhurta’, as stated by the trust.
The event is expected to attract a large viewership both on television and online, especially since the central government has declared a half-day holiday on January 22, a move followed by several states.
In anticipation of this occasion, temples across India have planned special celebrations.
Notably, from Washington DC to Paris to Sydney, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Hindu diaspora groups are organizing events globally.
For the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the new 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla, crafted by Mysuru-based artist Arun Yogiraj and placed in the temple last Thursday, fourteen couples from across India will serve as ‘yajmaans’ (hosts).
The Ram temple is adorned with an abundance of flowers and special lighting, immersing the entire city in a spiritual atmosphere.
Streetlights on flyovers feature artistic depictions of Lord Ram, bow and arrow cutouts, and lampposts are themed with the traditional “Ramanandi tilak” designs.
A comprehensive security arrangement, including 10,000 CCTV cameras and AI-equipped drones, has been implemented in Ayodhya for the ceremony. Plainclothes police officers are also deployed at the event site.
Strategic placement of movable barriers with barbed wires is evident at major intersections in the city, aiding in traffic control during VIP movements.
Expert teams from the NDRF, trained for various emergencies including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents, have been positioned in the area.
The event has a guest list of over 7,000 people, including 506 VIPs. Among the notable invitees are Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, business magnates Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.
Participants in the “Pran Prathishtha” include individuals associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. However, almost all opposition leaders invited have opted not to attend, with the Congress labeling it a “BJP-RSS event”.
This momentous consecration ceremony follows the initial phase of the temple’s construction, made possible by a landmark 2019 Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. Hindu claimants in the case contended that the Babri Mosque was built at the birthplace of Lord Ram.
In 1992, the 16th-century mosque was demolished by activists, intensifying the dispute. Stay with TOI for live updated-