Stage set for Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lala in Ayodhya

Subhasish Mitra (Wide Angle)

The stage is set for the grand Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lala in Ayodhya. The preparations for the grand ceremony are going on on war footing. Many rituals are also being held simultaneously at different places in Ayodhya. 

 

After completion of the ritual of Parisar Pravesh, the Teerth Poojan and Gandhadhivas rituals were performed. All these rituals were performed as also Jalayatra, Teertha Puja, Brahmin-Batuk-Kumari-Suvasini Puja, Vardhini Puja and Kalshayatra.

 

A tour of the idol of Lord Shri Ramlala took place on the Temple premises. The idol was also taken to the famous Hanumangarhi temple amidst tight security arrangements as part of the Parisar Pravesh ritual. Later the idol of Ramlala was safely taken down at the Ram temple and taken to the doorstep of the sanctum sanctorum.

 

Many other rituals including Ghrit Adhiwas, Pushpa Adhiwas Aushadhadhivas, Kesaradhivas, Ghritadhivas Dhanyadhivas, and others will be performed till the main event.

 

The 51-inch Ram Lalla idol, sculpted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was brought to the temple and placed in the grabha griha.

 

This was done amid the chanting of prayers, according to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the January 22 'pran pratishtha' ceremony at the temple, which is expected to be opened to the public the next day.

 

Rituals leading up the consecration ceremony are going on at a high pitch at the temple, constructed at what many devout believe marks the spot where Lord Ram was born. In 1992, kar sevaks demolished the Babri Masjid that stood there.

 

A historic Supreme Court judgment in 2019 on the temple-mosque dispute paved the way for the construction of the temple.

 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally reviewing the preparations in Ayodhya. He also visited the tent city where the inviteees coming from all across the globe in Ayodhya will be staying. Security has been beefed up in Ayodhya and across the state.

 

Multiple NDRF teams trained to tackle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks, drowning incidents and disasters like earthquakes have been deployed in Ayodhya.

 

The first image of the new Ram Lalla idol became public on Friday as anticipation built up for the consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya temple on Monday.

 

The statue, carved in black stone sourced from Karnataka, has its eyes covered with a piece of yellow cloth and is adorned with a garland of roses, going by the picture released by the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Ram Lalla, the child Ram, is in the standing posture.

 

The new 51-inch idol has been carved by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. The consecration ceremony will begin at 12.20 pm and is expected to end at 1 pm. Modi will then address a gathering of over 7,000 people at the venue - and lakhs are expected to watch the event live on TV.

 

Apart from seers and those linked to the agitation for a Ram Mandir at the Janmabhoomi, the guest list for Monday's event includes politicians, sports personalities, industrialists and actors. Superstar Amitabh Bachchan will arrive on a chartered aircraft.

 

But there are others, not on the list, who are heading to Ayodhya in their unique ways -- walking, cycling and even skating. Nitish Kumar, a resident of Bihar's Madhepura district, cycled more than 600 kilometres to reach Ayodhya. Aiming to spread the message of Hindu-Muslim unity, Shabnam Shaikh is walking from Mumbai to Ayodhya.

 

A large number of people have changed their caller tunes or ring tones to 'Ram Dhun' in Ayodhya.