Preparations in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya are in full swing for the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, scheduled for January 22 (Monday). A 500-kg ‘nagada‘ (drum) weighing has arrived in the temple town from Gujarat on a special chariot ahead of the historic ‘Pran Pratishtha‘ of Lord Ram.
Further, a group of confectioners from Varanasi and Gujarat have also arrived in Ayodhya to prepare sweet offerings for the dignitaries and devotees on the big day. These ace confectioners have been assigned to make 45 tonnes of laddus with pure desi ghee, which will be offered as a prasad to Lord Ram during the ceremony.
PM Modi’s Special Message On ‘Pran Pratishtha‘
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that with just 11 days left ‘Pran Pratishtha‘ at the Ram Temple, he will start a special ‘Anushthan’ (penances) from today.
“Only 11 days remain to the Pran Pratishtha of Ramlalla in Ayodhya. I am fortunate that I too will witness this holy occasion. God created me to represent all the citizens of India during Pran Pratishtha. Keeping this in mind, I am beginning an 11-day special Anushthan from today…,” he said in a post on X.
In a special video audio message on the occasion, the Prime Minister noted that as per Hindu scriptures, the Pran Pratishtha of a deity’s idol is a detailed and comprehensive process.
“For this, detailed rules have been given which have to be followed several days before the Pran Pratishta…I would follow all the rules and penances on and before the day of Pran Pratistha with the same strictness as instructed in the scriptures from today,” he said.
PM Modi said he will start the ritual of following Yama-Niyam for 11 days before consecration from Panchavati in Maharashtra’s Nashik.
In the scriptures, Dev Pratishtha has been described as the ritual of infusing divine consciousness into an earthly idol. For this, rules for fasting before the ritual have been prescribed in the scriptures.
The Prime Minister continuously follows the rules like Brahmamuhurta Jagran, Sadhana and Satvik diet in his daily routine. But he has decided to observe the fast with strict penance as a ritual for all 11 days, according to sources.
Special ‘Nagada‘ Arrives From Gujarat
The 500 kg special ‘nagada‘ that arrived in Ayodhya, has been prepared by the people of the Dabgar community in Gujarat’s Karnavati, the Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust said.
The drum, which has been prepared to withstand exposure to sunlight and rain without damage, would be installed on the Ram temple premises, said the trust’s general secretary Champat Rai.
The special drum has been made using iron and copper plates, and it has a coating of gold and silver layers.
The laddu-making process has already started on January 6 and will continue until January 22.
With the target of making 45 tonnes of preparing the popular North India sweet, the confectioners are reportedly making about 1200 kgs of laddus per day.
As per sources, these laddus are made with pure desi ghee, and not a single drop of water has been used in their preparation. These laddus will not spoil for six months.
“First, they will be offered to Lord Ram Lala in a silver plate as prasad. This Prasad will be given to the VIPs who come after the Bhog,” sources said.
Further, these laddus will be packed in tiffin boxes for distribution as Prasad. Each box will have 11 laddus in it, they added.
Live Telecast at New York’s Times Square
A live broadcast of the consecration ceremony would be showcased at New York City’s renowned Times Square in the US. The event will also be broadcast at various Indian embassies and consulates around the world.
Preparations are also being made to broadcast the event at thousands of temples and booths across India.
Free Prasad Online?
Khadi Organic (website khadiorganic.com), a website that claims to sell religious products that are devoted to Lord Ram, is offering to provide ‘free Ram Mandir Prasad’ to mark the forthcoming significant occasion of the Ram temple consecration.
The site is claiming to facilitate the distribution of Ram Temple Prasad directly to people’s homes. The site allows users to order free prasad by filling in their name and address and paying a delivery charge of Rs 51.
Ban On Liquor Sale
BJP MP from Jharkhand, Deepak Prakash on Friday wrote to CM Hemant Soren and demanded that on January 22, the sale of liquor and meat should be banned in the state.
In an effort to maintain the sanctity of the occasion, several states, including Chhattisgarh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, have declared “dry days” on January 22. A “dry day” is a day when the sale of alcoholic drinks is not allowed.
Politics Over Ram Mandir
The Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust has invited leaders of several political parties to the January 22 consecration ceremony, including Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi and the Leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
However, Congress leaders have decided not to attend the function. The grand old party’s move comes several days after its partners in the INDIA bloc, including the CPM and TMC, decided not to attend the ceremony while accusing the BJP and the RSS of trying to convert a religious ceremony into a political one.
Meanwhile, the has slammed the Congress for skipping the event, claiming that the party was displaying its anti-Hindu attitude.
Addressing a press conference, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said, “People in Telangana and across the country will not forgive the Congress for playing with the feelings of the majority population and giving a political spin to a cultural and religious celebration that has garnered international notice.”
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has denied receiving an invitation to the grand ceremony.
“I want to request you all (Media) that don’t insult us in the name of lord Ram. We haven’t got any invitation as quoted by some of the journalists in past,” he said.
Earlier, a war of words erupted between Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Alok Kumar and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over the invitation to the upcoming event on January 22. While Kumar asserted that the VHP functionary had approached the SP chief with the invite for the ceremony, Akhilesh reportedly said that he wouldn’t accept such an invitation from a “stranger”.
Ram Mandir Consecration Ceremony
With a limited guest list, Ram Mandir will be inaugurated in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other leaders on January 22. Among those invited are thousands of seers from across the country and families of the labourers who erected the temple in Ayodhya.
As per Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, around 7,000 people are on the invitee list which also includes names of popular Bollywood celebrities, cricketers, and industrialists.
Vedic rituals for the ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.
A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the ceremony on January 22.
From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav. A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.
According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people.
Local authorities are also gearing up for the anticipated surge in visitors around the grand ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth and spiritually enriching experience for all attendees.
Surge in Demand for Saffron Flags
Ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the demand for saffron flags bearing images of Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman and the upcoming grand temple has risen manifold.
With less than two weeks to go for the grand event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the temple town is in the grip of religious fervour, or as the locals say, “Ayodhya Rammayi ho rahi hai”. Saffron flags bearing images of Lord Ram and the upcoming Ram temple, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chant, or an image of Lord Hanuman — often seen on the rear windshield of cars — are in big demand, according to local shopkeepers.
UP Police To Deploy Drones, Over 10,000 CCTV Camera
Uttar Pradesh Police has installed over 10,000 CCTV cameras and will deploy drones to ensure security in Ayodhya on the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple. Anti-drone system has also been installed to take control of any unauthorised drone in the vicinity, SP Security Gaurav Vanswal said.
Additional force has also been deployed at railway and bus stations, Kumar said, adding that there will be continuous police presence. With the coordination of the people of Ayodhya and neighbouring districts, efforts are on to make the event a historical one, the DG said.
Apart from this, modern technical equipment has also been deployed to help the police force. With the help of this system, it will be easy to take control of any unauthorised drone, he said.
The DG said roads leading to the temple town are being sanitised and made encroachment-free. From January 17 or 18, heavy vehicles will be diverted for which traffic advisory will be issued from time to time.
President Droupadi Murmu Receives Ram Mandir Invitation
President Droupadi Murmu receives Ram Mandir inauguration invitation for January 22.
Ram Lal, All India Liaison Head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Alok Kumar, Central Executive President of VHP and Nripendra Mishra, President of Temple Construction Committee were present also on the occasion.
(with PTI inputs)
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