Existing Ram idol to be shifted to new temple on Jan 19, no ‘darshan’ for 3 days

“Not everything has been finalised yet but according to our information ‘darshan’ will be stopped from January 20,” a senior trust official said.

Also, keeping security concerns in mind, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is contemplating some changes in the consecration rituals starting January 16. The “nagar bhraman” (town tour) ceremony of the new idol will not be a public event as was planned earlier, trust officials said.

Temple chief priest Satyendra Das said, “It has come to my knowledge that the idol of ‘Ram Lalla Virajman’ will be shifted to the new temple on January 19.”

The trust and security officials are also looking into ways to handle a large number of pilgrims likely to visit Ayodhya after January 22 along with the ongoing construction of the temple.

The idol of ‘Ram Lalla Virajman’ will be used as “utsav idol” (idol for festivals) as it will be “movable” and is likely to be placed in front of the new idol, it is learnt. Rituals on special occasions will be performed on ‘Ram Lalla Virajman’, while the new idol will remain stationary.

The existing idol, which fought the temple title suit for about three decades till a verdict on the Ram Janmabhumi-Babari Masjid dispute was announced on November 9, 2019, was shifted from a structure made of tarpaulin to the makeshift temple amid Covid-19 protocols by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on March 25, 2020.