The consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be happening on January 12. (Express Photo by Chitral Khambhati)Ayodhya Ram Temple Event Live Updates: With days to go for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday, urged people across the country to light a ‘Shree Ram Jyoti’ in their houses on January 22. “Aai Shree Sonal Maa would have been extremely happy as we conduct the ‘pran prathistha’ of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. On this occasion, I urge everyone to light a ‘Shree Ram Jyoti’ in your houses on January 22,” the Prime Minister said.
The run-up to the opening: As the clock ticks for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he will be undertaking a special ritual everyday till the inauguration. “I am fortunate that I will also be a witness to this auspicious occasion. The Lord has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India during the consecration. Keeping this in mind, I am starting a special ritual of 11 days from today. I am seeking blessings from all the people. At this moment, it is very difficult to express my feelings in words, but I have tried from my side,” the Prime Minister wrote on social media platform X.
Oppn vs BJP on Ram temple consecration: Meanwhile, the political war of words over invitations to the event continued, with several Opposition INDIA bloc leaders saying they will be skipping the ceremony. Several Opposition leaders have criticised the BJP for allegedly ‘politicising’ the event. Opposition leaders, including TMC’s Derek O’Brien and CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury have asserted that religion should be a “personal matter”. Several BJP leaders have accused the Opposition of being “anti-Hindu” for turning down the invitation.
Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple under construction, ahead of the consecration ceremony at the temple, in Ayodhya. (PTI)
Opinion: Is the Cong party suicidal? Temple boycott is a big mistake
As the Congress party decides to skip the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Tavleen Singh writes: “What was the Congress ‘high command’ thinking when it decided to boycott the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya? How did this high command, which is a euphemism for the Gandhi family, spend two weeks mulling over the invitation they got and then arrive at a decision that harms the party more than anyone else? None of the reasons given for rejecting the invitation sent by the temple committee sound convincing. One reason offered by a Congress spokesperson on a chat show that I was part of, was that the decision signals a ‘return to Nehruvian secularism’.
A good reason but not plausible. It was Rajiv Gandhi who opened the locks to what was then the Babri Masjid and he organised his own consecration ceremony for a Ram Temple before the general election in 1989. What makes the ‘secularism’ argument less plausible still is that the man who is heir to this legacy spends so much time being videotaped in temples that he has faced the charge of subscribing to ‘soft’ Hindutva. His team, at one point, spread the word that he was a Brahmin who wore a ‘jeneu (sacred thread)’ signifying that he was a baptised Hindu. Seriously?”.
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Ram Temple invite: Cong caught between rock and a hard place in Kerala, BJP twists knife in
The decision of the Congress to keep away from the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has left the party in a sticky situation in Kerala.
When the invitation was sent to the Congress, party leaders from Kerala were in the forefront demanding a boycott of the event, sensing the uneasiness among Muslims on the issue. But with two prominent Hindu organisations in Kerala hailing the ceremony and asking the faithful to celebrate the day, the Congress now fears the anger of its Hindu base.
Soon after the Congress national leadership “respectfully declined” the invitation extended to its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to attend the event, the prominent Kerala Hindu outfit Nair Service Society (NSS) said: “It was the duty of every faithful to take part in the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.” Read More
Congress and Ram Mandir: Brief history of the party’s flip-flops on Ayodhya temple
The Congress Party Wednesday (January 10) said it will skip the upcoming consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22. “The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” the party’s statement said.
This is the latest chapter in Congress’s vacillating stance on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue — an attempt to keep both Hindus and Muslims happy, but ultimately getting the support of neither side. Here is a brief history.
Ram temple consecration ceremony should be performed by President Murmu, Uddhav Thackeray demands; BJP reacts
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday demanded that the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya be performed by President Droupadi Murmu as it is a matter of "national pride and the country's self-respect".
Speaking at a press conference, he also said he will invite Murmu to the Kalaram temple in Nashik.
Reacting to Thackeray's demand, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said he was "reading (Sena (UBT) MP) Sanjay Raut's script", and he should have read the VHP's tweet about the invitation to President Murmu.
Shelar also dared Thackeray and his son and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray to contest Lok Sabha polls and get elected.
Opinion | Neerja Chowdhury writes: Staying away from Ram temple on January 22 is Congress’s cold comfort zone
“Finally they have taken a stand”. That was the pleased reaction of many to the Congress leadership’s decision to not attend the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event, the Congress said, had been politicised by the BJP and RSS for electoral gains.
For several weeks there had been a tantalizing buzz — whether Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury would accept the invitation to attend the pran pratishtha (consecration).
The party, if insiders are to be believed, was divided. Leaders like Karan Singh and Arjun Modhwadia openly differed with the party stand, but many others who did not speak out also felt the same. It was Rahul Gandhi who is learnt to have weighed in on the final call.
Read more
Political Pulse | Gujarat Cong in Catch-22 over Ram Temple event as GPCC chief invokes Shankaracharyas for rain check
Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia’s statement criticising his party for taking a “political decision” to skip the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya on January 22 has caused embarrassment for the party, which has been struggling in state politics for many years.
A senior MLA from Porbandar, Modhwadia had been a former Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president as well as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly.
Read the full report by Leena Misra
Opinion | What Congress doesn’t get: Rama is in all and for all
Indian civilisational history has a unique vantage point. It contains examples of and lessons from individuals who hold contemporary relevance several thousand years after they have gone. Rama is one such character.
The boycott by some leaders of the Opposition, particularly the Congress, of the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtan at Ayodhya betrays a parochial and closed mindset. It also shows their disconnect from India’s people, its civilisation and culture.
Read more from an opinion piece by Sudarshan Ramabadran and Guru Prakash Paswan
Nadda to launch cleanliness campaign in run-up to Ram temple consecration ceremony
BJP president J P Nadda will launch on Sunday a nationwide campaign to clean up holy places and their surrounding areas in the run-up to the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
BJP national spokesperson Prem Shukla said Union ministers and party leaders at the national and state levels will be part of the campaign and are expected to give two to three hours everyday for the task till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony.
The party, he said, has formed committees in states and districts for the campaign and will be reaching out to noted citizens to join the exercise.
Shukla noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasised on ensuring cleanliness and has been a part of numerous such campaigns.
He had joined one such exercise at a temple in Maharashtra on Friday, Shukla added. PTI
Special Guests attending 'Pran Pratishtha' to receive sacred 'Ram Raj' (Sacred Soil) as a gift
Guests attending the Pran Pratistha ceremony on January 22 will receive a unique gift - soil extracted during the foundation excavation of the temple, referred to as 'Ram Raj.' The sacred soil from Ram Janmabhoomi will be carefully packed in boxes and presented to attendees during the ceremony.
A member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust shared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set to attend the event, will be presented with a 15-meter picture of the Ram temple enclosed in a jute bag featuring an image of the sacred structure. ANI
Meet the Indore mayor who called for Ram Temple replicas in every shop – with a warning
Promising to bring in corporate culture to the municipal corporation, Pushyamitra Bhargava left his high-profile legal career to become the mayor of Indore in 2022. Now, he is in the spotlight for directing all malls and shops in the city to install replicas of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and issuing a warning that residents “know how to respond to those who fail to cooperate”.
He wrote to all shopkeepers and mall administrations two weeks ago, telling them to install the replicas between January 15 and January 22 – the date of the Ram Temple’s consecration.
Find out more about him
NCP president Sharad Pawar on Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration
On the Ram temple issue, Sharad Pawar said, "Nobody opposes the Ram temple in Ayodhya, but the political motive in holding the consecration ceremony in the temple whose construction is not yet complete is being questioned."
Ram temple consecration: Liquor shops, bars to remain closed in Uttarakhand on Jan 22
Liquor shops and bars will remain closed in Uttarakhand on January 22 on the occasion of consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
An order to this effect was issued by Excise Commissioner Hari Chandra Semwal on Friday.
Liquor licence holders in the state will not be entitled to any compensation or claims on account of this closure, the order said.
Cong not attending 'Pran Pratishta' ceremony reflects they see 'appeasement' in this: C P Joshi
Rajasthan BJP president C P Joshi here on Saturday said the Congress' refusal to take part in the Ram Temple's 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya reflects that they see "appeasement" in this too.
He asked why the Congress has a "problem" with Lord Ram. Congress had earlier said that Lord Ram was never born and it is an "imaginary" character and has compared the Sanatan Dharma with Dengue, Malaria and AIDS, he further alleged.
"Now, all sins will be absolved. They (Congress) should come in the progress.
"Lord Ram is a symbol of faith of millions of people in the country and the world... opposing this programme also shows that they are seeing appeasement somewhere in this too," Joshi told reporters while replying to a question that the BJP has allegedly made 'Pran Pratishta' an "event".
The Congress declined the invitation to attend the 'Pran Pratistha' programme of the Ram Temple to be held in Ayodhya on January 22, calling it a "political event".
I was just the charioteer, says Advani in a piece on Ram temple movement
Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, who is keen to reach Ayodhya on January 22 to witness the inauguration of the Ram Mandir, has recalled his 1990 rath yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in Rashtradharma magazine, saying he was only the sarathi (charioteer) of the rath, and that destiny had decided that the temple would become a reality one day.
The piece – Shri Ram Mandir: Divya Swapn Ki Poorti (Shri Ram temple: Fulfilment Of A Divine Dream) that Advani has penned on the Ram janmabhoomi movement — will be published on January 15 in the 76-year-old magazine. The special issue of Rashtradharma will be given to participants at the consecration ceremony of the idol in Ayodhya on January 22. Read More
How Madhya Pradesh is planning to mark Ram Mandir opening
Madhya Pradesh was one of the four states where the BJP was in power and where the government was dismissed in the aftermath of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Now, the state where the BJP returned to power in December after receiving an overwhelming mandate is gearing up for the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22.
From five lakh laddoos made in Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple to religious programmes in temples across the state, the state government has stepped up preparations for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said Madhya Pradesh would not be left behind in the celebrations. “Two thousand years ago, King Vikramaditya helped build the Ram Mandir. That temple was demolished 500 years ago by Babur, so how can Madhya Pradesh stay behind when the temple is being consecrated?” he said. Read More
Opinion: How a Kali temple ensured peace in Ayodhya
As the country prepares for the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar writes: “It’s time to appreciate the role played by the Supreme Court, our prime minister and all the stakeholders. The saga around the Ram temple in Ayodhya is full of interesting anecdotes and mysteries… We tend to navigate the cause-and-effect dynamics within the realm of the tangible, seldom extending our perception beyond it. The truth is the forces of the subtle realm have a great say over what ultimately materialises in our physical world — another mystery of this enigmatic world that we inhabit.” Read More
Gujarat Congress in Catch-22 over Ram Temple event
Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia’s statement criticising his party for taking a “political decision” to skip the Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya on January 22 has caused embarrassment for the party, which has been struggling in state politics for many years.
A senior MLA from Porbandar, Modhwadia had been a former Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president as well as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly. Modhwadia criticised the Congress in a X post on January 10, tagging the Congress statement issued by AICC general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh earlier that day. The Congress announced that party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have “respectfully declined” the invitation to attend the Ayodhya event. The Congress charged that the Ram Temple has been turned into a “political project” by the BJP and the RSS and that the consecration event has been brought forward for “electoral gain” in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. Read More
Urge everyone to light ‘Shree Ram Jyoti’ in their houses on January 22: PM Modi
With days to go for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday, urged people across the country to light a ‘Shree Ram Jyoti’ in their houses on January 22. “Aai Shree Sonal Maa would have been extremely happy as we conduct the ‘pran prathistha’ of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. On this occasion, I urge everyone to light a ‘Shree Ram Jyoti’ in your houses on January 22,” the Prime Minister said.
Welcome to our Live Blog!
Good afternoon and welcome back to our Live Blog covering everything happening in the run-up to the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Keep following this space for latest news and updates
Invitation extended to Prez Murmu to attend Ram temple consecration ceremony, says VHP
A delegation representing the Ram Temple Trust on Friday called on President Droupadi Murmu and formally invited her to attend the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.
The delegation comprised Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Alok Kumar, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Ram Lal and Ram temple construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra.
"Today, Her Excellency the President of India, Smt Draupadi Murmu Ji, was invited for the consecration ceremony at Shri Ram Temple on January 22,” VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said in a post on X.
He also posted a picture of President Murmu receiving the invitation from the delegation. (PTI)
Gita Press in Gorakhpur is facing shortage of Ramcharitmanas ahead of Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya
Read in Express Premium: Ayodhya 2.0: Transformation of a temple town
“Ayodhya ek chota sa town tha, in a radius of 7-8 km. Chota aur shaant, par udaas (Ayodhya was a small town… small and peaceful, but sad).”
Sitting in his old palace, ‘Raj Sadan’, in the heart of Ayodhya on the newly refurbished Ram Path, Yatindra Mishra, poet, art critic and scion of the erstwhile royal family of Ayodhya, talks about the town he grew up in – “stuffy, with dilapidated buildings and little hope”, whose residents would constantly express their frustration over the frisking that they have had to undergo at security barricades across the city since 1992.
“And then, in just over a year, Ayodhya transformed in front of our eyes,” says Mishra.
It’s a transformation that is centred around its most political image – the Ram temple, the inauguration of which is scheduled for January 22. Now, with two weeks left for the ceremony, the city is an almost unrecognisable form of its earlier self. Read more
Naga seers leave for Ayodhya with water from Uttarakhand's sacred rivers
A group of Naga seers of Juna Akhara left for Ayodhya on Friday carrying water from the holy rivers of Uttarakhand to offer Ram Lalla during the idol consecration on January 22.
The sacred "kalash" (pot) being carried by the sanyasis is filled with the waters of the holy rivers that originate in Uttarakhand including the Ganga (Gangotri), Yamuna (Yamunotri), Alaknanda, Mandakini, Saryu, Bhagirathi, Ram Ganga, Kali Ganga, Dhauli Ganga and Trijugi Narayan, national general secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Hari Giri said.
The group of Naga sanyasis was led by the akhara's international secretary Mahant Mahesh Puri. (PTI)
Destiny decided construction of Ram temple, chose PM Modi for this: Advani
Destiny had decided that a grand temple of Lord Ram will be built in Ayodhya and it chose Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this, BJP stalwart L K Advani has said in an article to be published in a special edition of the 'Rashtra Dharma' magazine next week.
In his article 'Ram Mandir Nirman, Ek Divya Swapna Ki Purti', Advani referred to the 'Rath Yatra' he took out 33 years ago for Ram temple construction and said he believes the Ayodhya movement was the "most decisive and transformative event" in his political journey which allowed him to "re-discover India and, in the process, re-understand himself".
The BJP veteran, who was at the forefront of the Ram temple agitation, also remembered former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying he is feeling his absence ahead of the grand consecration event at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"Today the Rath Yatra completed 33 years. When we started the Rath Yatra on the morning of September 25, 1990, we did not know that the faith in Lord Ram with which we were starting this Yatra would take the form of a movement in the country," a source quoted Advani as saying in his article. (PTI)
UP Police to deploy drones, over 10,000 CCTV camera in Ayodhya for Ram temple event
Uttar Pradesh Police will deploy drones and over 10,000 CCTV cameras 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.
DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said over 10,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in Ayodhya district. 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. (PTI)
Out and out political event??: Cong slams BJP over Ram temple consecration ceremony
Hitting out at the BJP, the Congress on Friday said the ruling party has made the Ram temple consecration ceremony an "out and out political event" which is being held without taking the advice of shankaracharyas and by disregarding religious procedures.
The opposition party also said religion is a personal matter and anyone is free to go to Ayodhya for 'darshan' but the invitation that was declined was for the January 22 event, of which "massive politicisation" is taking place.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that the consecration ceremony is not being held keeping in mind religious procedures.
"Is it being conducted keeping in mind religious procedures on the advice of the shankaracharyas," Khera asked.
All four shankaracharyas have said that the consecration ceremony of an "incomplete temple" cannot be done, he said. (PTI)
On BJP's attack over Ram temple issue, Kharge says the faithful can visit Ayodhya any day
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said anyone having faith in Lord Ram can visit the Ayodhya temple any day and added the BJP was attacking his party over the decision to decline the invite to the January 22 consecration ceremony as part of "a conspiracy".
The Congress has never hurt any religion or guru, he said, adding it will not fall for the BJP's diversionary tactic and will continue to raise people's issues such as inflation and unemployment.
Kharge and top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have "respectfully declined" the invitation to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22, accusing the BJP and the RSS of making it a "political project" for electoral gain.
The BJP has criticised the decision and dubbed the Congress "anti-Lord Ram". (PTI)
BJP's Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hails Ram temple consecration ceremony as 'historic', 'momentous'
Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was on Friday invited for the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya and hailed the event as "historic" and "momentous".
Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) Prant Sampark Pramukh Chandra Wadhwa handed over the invitation to Naqvi here.
"I consider myself fortunate to be invited to this historic and momentous occasion," Naqvi, a former Union minister, said.
Khanna said, "On January 22, Ram Lala's pran pratishtha will be held in Ayodhya Dham. We are fortunate that we are getting to witness this day, which has come after 500 years of struggle, 500 years of wait and many sacrifices." "We have come to invite Shri Naqvi for the pran pratistha of Bhagwan Sri Ram. Ram Lala ji ne unhe Ayodhya Dham bulaya hai' (Lord Ram has called him to Ayodhya)," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people are expected to attend the temple consecration ceremony in the Hindu holy town in Uttar Pradesh on January 22. (PTI)
Have not received Ram temple event invite: Akhilesh; VHP says his name in list of invitees
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said he had not received any invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram temple yet, either in person or by courier, and demanded proof in case of it having been sent by post
Speaking to reporters at the Samajwadi Party office here, Yadav said, "They (apparently referring to the BJP and the VHP) are humiliating me. I have not received any invitation. When we organise any programme, we invite only those who are known to us. We do not invite a stranger." When a reporter stated that the invitation had been sent to him by courier, Yadav said if it was so, then the postal receipt should be shown to him so that it could be checked whether it had been sent to the correct address.
"Now it is coming to light that the invitation has been sent to me by courier. I request journalists to get me the receipt of the courier so that we can find out whether the invitation is coming to our address or going to some other address," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. (PTI)
It is a state-sponsored political event organized by the BJP and RSS combined: CPI General Secretary D Raja on Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony
On the Ram Temple pranpratishtha ceremony, CPI General Secretary D Raja says, "Our party will not participate in that event (pranpratishtha ceremony). It is a state-sponsored political event organized by the BJP and RSS combined. It is known to the whole world and all countries. The Constitution makes it clear that the Indian state should remain a secular democratic state. But here, what we are witnessing is the PM is going and along with him, there will be RSS's chief participating in that event. It is being done keeping elections under consideration because they think they can convert this into a huge electoral campaign, a political campaign to hoodwink people in the name of a temple at the time of elections. And we are not for such things. So we will not participate our party declines..."
Around 100 chartered flights expected at the Ayodhya airport; SpiceJet to operate special Delhi-Ayodhya flight on January 21
SpiceJet will operate a special flight from the national capital to Ayodhya on January 21 to fly people attending the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple.
The 'Pran Pratishta' ceremony at the temple will be held on January 22.
The airline will operate a 'special flight operation from Delhi to Ayodhya on January 21, 2024, catering to passengers attending the auspicious 'Pran Pratishta' ceremony at the Shri Ram temple on January 22. The special flight is scheduled to depart from the national capital at 1.30 pm and reach Ayodhya by 3 pm on January 21. The return flight on the following day is scheduled to take off at 5 pm and land at Delhi at 6.30 pm.
On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that around 100 chartered flights are expected at the Ayodhya airport for the consecration ceremony on January 22. (PTI)
Ahead of Ram temple consecration ceremony, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar writes about how a Kali temple ensured peace in Ayodhya
As the country prepares for the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a long-awaited dream is about to become a reality. It’s time to appreciate the role played by the Supreme Court, our prime minister and all the stakeholders. The saga around the Ram temple in Ayodhya is full of interesting anecdotes and mysteries.
In the summer of 2002, Ashok Singhal, then president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, came to meet me at our Bangalore ashram. He had arrived from Kanchipuram where he had met the erstwhile Kanchi Shankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi in connection with the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. This was soon after the talks between the Shankaracharya and prominent Muslim leaders had failed. Singhal wanted then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to clear the path to build the Ram Mandir immediately. Some of his demands seemed impractical given that Vajpayee was running a coalition government. Read more
Lord Ram to be presented with 2.5 kg bow ahead of consecration ceremony in Ayodhya
The deity is all set to get a 2.5 kg bow, which is traditionally with him, ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
This will be given to the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by Ayodhya-based Amava Ram Temple.
"Ahead of the 'pran pratishtha' of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram) in Ayodhya on January 22, we are getting bow and arrows for him from Chennai. On January 19, these will be donated to the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust," Shayan Kunal, a trustee of the Amava Ram Temple, told PTI.
"The bow has been made as per its description mentioned in Valmiki Ramayan. Descriptions about different arrows are also mentioned in it. The skilled Chennai-based artisans, who have been in this profession for the last 200 years, have made the bow. 23 carat of gold has been used to make the bow. About 600-700 grams of gold has been used to make the bow weighing 2.5 kg," he added. (PTI)
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says Cong leaders & workers will perform special pujas in Ram temples in the state on Jan 22
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said he will visit Ayodhya after January 22, whenever he gets time to pay his obeisance to Lord Ram, but added that Congress leaders and workers would offer special pujas in Ram temples across the State on that day.
“I have not received an invitation for the inauguration of Rama temple (on January 22). We are not running behind them (BJP) to pay obeisance to Sri Rama. We too worship Rama but they (BJP) are politicising the Rama temple issue. We oppose their politics and not Sri Ramachandra,” he told reporters in this district headquarters town.
The Chief Minister, who arrived here to launch the Congress government's fifth guarantee ‘Yuva Nidhi', said his party leaders and workers will perform special prayers in Ram temples across the State on January 22. (PTI)
PM Modi visits Shree Kalaram Temple in Nashik ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya
Political war of words over invitations to the event continues
The political war of words over invitations to the event continued, with several Opposition INDIA bloc leaders saying they will be skipping the ceremony. Several Opposition leaders have criticised the BJP for allegedly ‘politicising’ the event. Opposition leaders, including TMC’s Derek O’Brien and CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury have asserted that religion should be a “personal matter”. Several BJP leaders have accused the Opposition of being “anti-Hindu” for turning down the invitation.
Days to go for Ayodhya Ram temple opening, PM Modi starts ‘special ritual’: ‘Lord has made me an instrument…’
With 11 days to go for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he will be undertaking a special ritual everyday till the inauguration.
“Only 11 days are left for the consecration of Ramlala in Ayodhya. I am fortunate that I will also be a witness to this auspicious occasion. The Lord has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India during the consecration. Keeping this in mind, I am starting a special ritual of 11 days from today. I am seeking blessings from all the people. At this moment, it is very difficult to express my feelings in words, but I have tried from my side,” the Prime Minister wrote on social media platform X.
Welcome to our live blog!
Hello and welcome to our live blog on the upcoming consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Follow this space for the latest updates.