Ram Mandir Highlights: Ram Lalla idol installed in Ram Mandir’s sanctum sanctorum in Ayodhya

Aiming to set a world record, renowned sand artist Padma Shri Sudarshan Patnaik will organise a sand sculpture art camp along with seven fellow artists on the banks of the Saryu river to mark the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony of Ram temple at Ayodhya on January 22, an official said.

The art camp will be organised at Naya Ghat and it will be based on Lord Ram and Ramcharitmanas, the director of the Uttar Pradesh Lalit Kala Academy, Dr Shraddha Shukla, said in a statement.

The camp is just one of the events being organised at Ayodhya ahead of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony. The Yogi Adityanath government is organising a variety of cultural programmes at different locations in the city.

The Lalit Kala Academy, which functions under the state Culture Department, has planned the schedule of various events, Shukla said. (PTI)

Public sector banks, insurance companies, financial institutions and regional rural banks will remain closed for half day on January 22 due to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

Earlier in the day, the Department of Personnel and Training issued an order in respect of central institutions and central industrial establishments.

The DOPT order shall also apply to public sector financial institutions and RRBs to enable employees to participate the Ram Lalla pran pratishtha celebration, a notification from the finance ministry, said on Thursday.

The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the new idol of Ram Lalla at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple is scheduled for Monday. The ceremony is set to be performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI)

Plans are afoot to start Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus services to Ayodhya on six routes to facilitate the devotees in visiting the Ram temple, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference here after chairing the 155th meeting of the Board of Directors of HRTC, Agnihotri, who also holds transport portfolio, said though the route is very long, "we are negotiating with the state government concerned so that we can start the bus services".

He also said the corporation will also start cashless ticketing system in their buses. "With this, the passengers will be able to pay via QR code, UPI, credit card, debit card and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC).

Agnihotri said the corporation would purchase 2,932 buses in the next four years. He said the HRTC would also purchase 327 electric buses in the year 2024-25. (PTI)

The BJP in Kerala on Thursday urged the CPI(M)-led Left government to declare a holiday for its institutions on January 22, due to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

BJP state chief K Surendran said the state government should emulate the model of the Centre, which has declared a holiday for its institutions till 2.30 pm on January 22.

Describing the Ayodhya Temple as the pride of the nation, he said Lord Rama is the role model of the country in terms of governance.

In a statement, he further said that the consecration day is a moment being awaited by lakhs of devotees in the southern state.

Lord Rama and the epic Ramayana have a special place in the hearts of Malayalees, Surendran said, adding that the state government should respect the sentiments of believers. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit some significant temples in Tamil Nadu on January 20 and 21, his office said on Thursday.

The visit to various temples by the prime minister comes ahead of the Ram temple 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 which will be attended by him and a host of other dignitaries.

On January 20, Prime Minister Modi will participate in a programme at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, at around 11 AM. He will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam in the temple there, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

Thereafter, Prime Minister Modi will reach Rameswaram at around 2 pm and perform 'darshan' and 'pooja' in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple. (PTI)

The idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, has been placed in the Sanctum Sanctorum, confimed one of the priests performing rituals inside the temple.

Ram Lalla idol has been installed in sanctum sanctorum at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as confirmed by one of the priest performing rituals inside the temple. The Ram Lalla idol was designed and developed by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. Yogiraj was among three sculptors shortlisted to carve idols depicting a five-year-old 51-inch-tall Ram Lalla (child Ram) in standing form. Visuals of the sanctum sanctorum in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple were released late Wednesday evening, wherein the idol of Ram Lalla was placed today. The pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony is scheduled to be held on January 22.

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav on Thursday said that had he been alive he would have surely attended the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Aparna Yadav, who is the BJP leader, said she has got the invitation for the ceremony and that it was a matter of pride for all "Sanatani" that this moment of happiness has arrived.

"I think he would have definitely gone if he had been alive," Aparna Yadav told PTI when asked if Mulayam Singh Yadav would have accepted the invitation.

On January 13, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav thanked the Ram temple trust for inviting him to the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony on January 22, and said he would visit the temple with his family after the event.

On the opposition terming the consecration ceremony as a BJP event, Aparna Yadav said, "This shows their narrow mindedness. This temple is not of any party. They are themselves showing their 'sanskar' (culture)." This temple was not constructed with labour of one person, but faith of many is involved in it, she said. (PTI)

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav on Thursday said that had he been alive he would have surely attended the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Aparna Yadav, who is the BJP leader, said she has got the invitation for the ceremony and that it was a matter of pride for all "Sanatani" that this moment of happiness has arrived.

"I think he would have definitely gone if he had been alive," Aparna Yadav told PTI when asked if Mulayam Singh Yadav would have accepted the invitation.

On January 13, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav thanked the Ram temple trust for inviting him to the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony on January 22, and said he would visit the temple with his family after the event.

On the opposition terming the consecration ceremony as a BJP event, Aparna Yadav said, "This shows their narrow mindedness. This temple is not of any party. They are themselves showing their 'sanskar' (culture)." This temple was not constructed with labour of one person, but faith of many is involved in it, she said. (PTI)

BJP MP Hema Malini on Thursday said the January 22 consecration ceremony here will be a memorable moment while claiming that it will be the opposition parties' loss if they don't attend the event.

In an apparent reference to the deity being shifted from a makeshift tent to the newly built temple in Ayodhya, Malini said Lord Ram will be moving to a bigger house from a small one.

"The opposition parties say they are not coming (for the consecration ceremony), it is their loss. They say Ram is ours... that is also very good," the actor-turned-politician told PTI.

Malini said a lot of development was going on in Ayodhya.

"A lot of new hotels are coming up. When we used to plan visits here, we used to wonder where we could stay. Now Ayodhya is going to a world-class destination," she added. (PTI)

Battery-operated carts will be made available for devotees visiting Ayodhya to offer prayers at the Ram temple and the Hanuman Garhi temple, officials said on Thursday.

The e-carts or golf carts will offer free rides to the elderly, divyangjans, and pregnant women while the fare for others will be announced soon, they said.

The 650 e-carts, to be deployed till March in the first phase, will be available at the parking lots across the city, Vice chairman of the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) Vishal Singh said.

A 'hyperloop model' for connecting the entire Ayodhya is being prepared and the e-cart project is a part of it. In the near future, restrictions will be imposed on the entry of four-wheelers on the Ram Path, a significant thoroughfare in the heart of Ayodhya, and only e-carts will be allowed, Singh said.

Singh said a large number of devotees, including the elderly, divyangjans, and pregnant women, are expected to visit Ayodhya for a 'darshan' of Ram Lalla after the consecration ceremony on January 22. (PTI)

All central government offices across the country will remain closed for half a day on January 22, due to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, a Personnel Ministry order issued on Thursday said.

The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the new idol of Ram Lalla at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple is scheduled for Monday. The ceremony is set to be performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya will be celebrated on 22nd January 2024 across India. To enable employees to participate in the celebrations, it has been decided that all central government offices, central institutions and central industrial establishments throughout India will be closed for half day till 1430 hours on 22nd January 2024," it said in the order issued to all central government ministries/ departments.

When contacted, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told PTI that the decision has been taken in view of the "overwhelming" public sentiments. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday released commemorative postage stamps on the Ram temple in Ayodhya and a book of stamps issued on Lord Ram around the world.

Officials said the components of the design include the Ram temple, the chaupai 'Mangal Bhavan Amangal Hari', Sun, Saryu river and sculptures in and around the temple.

 

The six stamps are on the Ram temple, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, Jatayu, Kevatraj and Ma Shabri, they said. The stamp book is an attempt to showcase the international appeal of Lord Ram and the 48-page book covers stamps issued by more than of 20 countries, including the US, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Cambodia, and organisations like the UN.

A gold leaf of sun rays and 'chaupai' lend a majestic icon to this miniature sheet, they noted, adding that the five physical elements, sky, air, fire, earth and water, are reflected through various design elements and establish their perfect harmony which is essential for all manifestations.

With four days remaining for the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday launched a dedicated webpage to provide weather-related information for Ayodhya and important nearby areas.

The webpage contains information on all weather parameters, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind patterns in major languages spoken worldwide, such as Hindi, English, Urdu, Chinese, French, and Spanish. Weather information for Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow, and New Delhi, among other important places, is available on the webpage.

A weather bulletin containing a seven-day forecast and sunrise and sunset timings will also be available to users in both Hindi and English. The consecration ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place on January 22. (PTI)

A bumper crop of kinnow this season has resulted in a drop in its price which has upset the farmers as it (low price) is not getting them good returns.

Kinnow as of now is being purchased by private players from the farmers for a price that’s in the range of Rs 4 – Rs 9 a kg, while farmers were expecting Rs 15 – Rs 20 per kg.

Farmers of Abohar, which is the main kinnow belt of Punjab, are so pained by the price crash that they are appealing to the central government to take this fruit to Ayodhya to organise langar on the Ram temple inaugural event on January 22.

Read the full report by Raakhi Jagga 

Yogiraj, 38, is counted among the most sought-after sculptors in the country. While he has an MBA degree and even took up a job briefly, he came back to his family profession.“I have been assisting my father in sculpting since I was 11. After working elsewhere for a few months, I realised sculpting was my passion. I came home in 2008. While my father supported my decision, my mother wasn’t happy that I quit my job. She finally came around in 2014, when I received South India’s young talent award,” Yogiraj said.

His grandfather, B Basavanna Shilpi, was patronised by the kings of Mysore, and had been trained by Shilpi Siddanthi Siddalinga Swami, the royal guru of Mysore palace. Basavanna Shilpi had supplied 64 idols in just 11 months to the Gayatri temple, located on the Mysuru palace premises. Read our full profile

Former VHP leader Ashok Singhal called his grandfather “the first kar sevak of the Ayodhya movement”, recalls Raghvendra Singh, former Union Culture Secretary and ex-director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Guru Dutt Singh earned that title for his actions as the Faizabad city magistrate and additional district magistrate in the days following the mysterious appearance of Ram Lalla idol inside the disputed Babri Masjid structure in December 1949.

After Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru directed Chief Minister Govind Ballabh Pant to ensure that the idol was removed, Guru Dutt stood firm and did not let the CM enter Faizabad-Ayodhya, Raghvendra says.

Read the full story

The 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, which was kept at the gate of Grabh Grah or Sanctum Sanctorum on Wedenesday, was placed inside the Sanctorum this morning. 

After Ganeshambika Pujan, chanting of mantras, including "Ayushmantra" recitation, the idol will be installed on a throne following "Mandap Pravesh" rituals. The rituals will start with "Jaladhivas" (cleansing the idol with water), Gandhadivas, (showering the idol with different essences) after which arti of the new idol will be performed in the evening. Before this, the throne will be purified with Panchgavya, which are five elements i.e. milk, ghee, cow dung, gau mutra and curd. Then "Vastu Pujan" of the mandap would be performed for "Vastu shanti" of the place and Yagya would start in the premises.

Input from Maulshree Seth

A day after it was brought to the temple premises, the 51-inch Ram Lalla idol, sculpted by Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj, was brought inside the sanctum Sanctorum of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya this morning. A crane was used to carefully lower the idol into the temple. Take a look: 

Good morning and welcome back! Follow this space for the latest updates from Ayodhya. 

This morning, the Ram Lalla idol, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, was brought inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. But more on that in the next card. 

Stay tuned!

Union Minister Som Parkash on Wednesday said four special trains will run from Punjab in February to facilitate people to visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

The consecration ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place on January 22.
Parkash said two trains will be run from Pathankot and one each from Chandigarh and Nangal Dam.

Hoshiarpur MP Parkash said the railways will soon issue the schedule of stoppages of these trains so that people can board them from their nearest railway stations. (PTI)

Rice, wheat and other types of grains are being collected at an old Ram temple in south Delhi and will be sent to Ayodhya to mark the 'Pran Pratishtha' at the new temple in the holy city.

Run by an over three decade-old society named 'Shri Sanatan Dharm Sabha', the structure of the temple, whose consecration ceremony took place 30 years ago, sits on a hilly terrain in East of Kailash, part of the Aravalli hills in the national capital.

"Lord Ram is everywhere and on January 22, we will celebrate the occasion in Delhi with a zeal and devotion, assuming we are in the holy place of Ayodhya," the society's joint secretary Pawan Sharma said.

Sharma said that on January 22 morning a havan, puja and yagya will be performed at the Shree Ram Mandir temple before the starting of the 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya. (PTI)

The Uttar Pradesh government will start helicopter services to Ayodhya from six districts in the state by the end of this month, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The services will be started from Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Mathura and Agra.

Helicopter services will be started from Lucknow later this month, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Mukesh Meshram told PTI. He added that the government has fixed the fare for the services.

In addition to this, the state government is also introducing an aerial darshan of Ayodhya and the Ram temple there, Meshram said. For this, helicopter rides will start from a helipad near the tourism guesthouse along the banks of the Saryu river. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the main "yajman" at the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Laxmikant Dixit, the main priest for the ritual, said here on Wednesday.

Dixit refuted reports that Ram temple trust member Anil Mishra, who is performing rituals with his wife in the run-up to the main event, will be the yajman also on the consecration day.

Typically, the yajman is the main host of a puja -- the person on whose behalf the prayers are offered.

Talking to reporters before leaving for Ayodhya, Dixit, the main 'archak' (priest) made it clear that PM Modi will be the main yajman for the 'pran pratishtha' rituals in Ayodhya.

Dixit told PTI over phone that in the past he had performed 'pran pratishtha' at Ram temple in Laxmangarh in Rajasthan and also at a Odisha temple.

The run-up to the Ram temple consecration ceremony began on Tuesday with a series of rituals, led by a member of the temple trust and his wife. (PTI)

The famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala will present 'Onavillu', a traditional ceremonial bow, to the Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya to mark the occasion of its consecration on January 22.

The bow is presented as a gift to the Lord Ram Temple.

Temple Tantri and its administrative panel members would hand over the 'Onavillu' to the Shri Ram Teerth Kshetra Trust representatives at a function to be held at the eastern entrance of the shrine on January 18, the executive officer of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple said in a statement on Wednesday.

'Onavillu' is a ceremonial offering dedicated to Lord Sree Padmanabha as part of a three-century-old tradition.

The members of a traditional family here make an artistic offering at the Lord Padmanabha Temple on the auspicious 'Thiru Onam' day every year. (PTI)

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said he will go with his family to Ayodhya and pay obeisance to Ram Lalla at the the Ram temple there after the January 22 consecration ceremony.

Talking to reporters after meeting the elderly who were departing for Dwarkadheesh under the Delhi government's pilgrimage scheme, Kejriwal said, "I got a letter that said only one person was allowed (for the ceremony) due to security reasons. They said a team will come to give a personal invitation but no one came." "I want to visit for a darshan of Ram Lalla along with my wife and children. My parents are also longing for a darshan of Ram Lalla. I will go after the January 22 ceremony along with my wife, children and parents," he said.

The "Pran Prathishta" of the idol of Ram Lalla will be held at the upcoming Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on January 22 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it. (PTI)

Hospitality tech platform OYO on Wednesday said it has opened 65 homestays and hotels in Ayodhya for pilgrims ahead of the Ram Temple consecration.

The newly opened properties include 51 OYO homestays and 14 hotels in the city. These have been added to support the anticipated surge in visitors after the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22, the company said in a statement.

"To ensure smooth and timely operations, OYO has partnered with the Ayodhya Development Authority and the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation," it added.

The properties were inaugurated jointly by UP Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak; BJP National General Secretary B L Santosh; UP Minister for Tourism & Culture Jaiveer Singh; and state Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi.

"These newly inaugurated properties will increase our accommodation capacity and ensure a smooth experience for the pilgrims," the statement said, quoting Pathak. (PTI)

The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya belongs to 140 crore Indians and all devotees of Lord Ram can visit the temple, Karnataka Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said on Wednesday.

Addressing reporters at Udupi, the minister said she had huge faith in Lord Ram and will go to the temple one day, adding, she has even made donations for the shrine.

She declined to comment on the party's stance on the Ayodhya issue. “I am a devotee of the deity and celebrate our culture and faith and will go to Ayodhya one day,” she said.

Hebbalkar, who is also Udupi district-in-charge minister, said she will participate in the Paryaya festival at Sri Krishna mutt in Udupi on Thursday, for the first time along with her family. (PTI)

Ram Temple in Ayodhya has created a buzz in this Swiss ski resort town during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting with devotees planning to hold Ram Bhajans and light diyas on the consecration day this coming Monday.

Besides, many global business leaders have been inquiring from the Indian delegation, including those from the government and private sector, about the business and infrastructure opportunities created by development of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh as a major religious and tourism centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several leaders are scheduled to be present at the ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, which is likely to be attended by over 8,000 people.

Besides, the prime minister has urged people across the country to celebrate the day like Diwali at their respective places. Besides the temple, an international airport has also been set up in Ayodhya while a large number of infrastructure projects are being built there to develop the city into a major religious tourism centre. (PTI)

A "Kalash Pujan" was held on Wednesday as part of the rituals being performed in the run-up to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple here, a member of the temple's trust said.

The rituals started on Tuesday, and trust general secretary Champat Rai had said that these will continue till January 21. On the day of the consecration, minimum essential rituals needed for the "Pran Pratishtha" of the idol of Ram Lalla will be conducted, he had said.

The "Kalash Pujan" was done by Sri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Anil Mishra, his wife and others on the banks of the Saryu river.

Following this ritual, pots filled with water of the Saryu will be taken to the place (Ram temple complex) where the pre-consecration rituals are being held, according to Mishra. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the famous Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy Temple in the Central Kerala district of Thrissur on Wednesday.

At the temple, Modi, dressed in the traditional attire of 'mundu' (dhoti) and 'veshti' (white shawl), also carried out the 'meen oottu' (fish feeding) ritual there.

He also attended a 'veda archana' and 'bhajana' by children inside the temple premises.

Spending more than an hour at the temple, he later proceeded to Kochi, where he will take part in public and party functions.

The Triprayar temple is dedicated to Lord Ram, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, depicted with four arms holding a conch, a discus, a bow, and a garland.

This visit by Prime Minister Modi follows his recent remarks in Ayodhya about Kerala's famous Nalambalam yatra ceremony, a pilgrimage to the abode of Lord Ram and his brothers Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughan. The Prime Minister's visit to Kerala's Sree Ramaswamy Temple holds special significance as it aligns with the consecration of the Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22. (PTI)

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister flagged off an Air India Express flight connecting Ayodhya to Kolkata on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh has touched new heights of development. "Uttar Pradesh is a state that ensures India's progress. We celebrated Diwali in November last year. Meanwhile, the people of my state (Madhya Pradesh) also celebrated Diwali on December 3 after the Assembly poll results were declared. Now, we will celebrate another Diwali on January 22," he said. The consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is scheduled to be held on January 22. In his address via video-conferencing, Adityanath said, "The Ram mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony will be held on January 22 and the entire country is excited about the event."

"People are eagerly planning to visit Ayodhya. Four or five years ago, nobody could have thought that an airport would be built in Ayodhya. However, this is a reality now," he added. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader pointed out that Uttar Pradesh got new airports in the last more than nine years. (PTI)

Well, the idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, is set to be placed inside the new Temple premises. Currently, the eyes of the idol have been covered with a piece of cloth. It will be removed only on the day of the ceremony, January 22.

The rituals will begin around 1:20 PM with the Jal Yatra, which will involve taking water from the Saryu river for cleaning the sanctum sanctorum. A Teerth Pujan will also take place, starting with a havan at the temple site, followed by the Brahmin-Batuk-Kumari and Suvasini ritual, Varddhinipujan and then Kalash Yatra. Following these rituals, the Ram Lalla idol will be taken on a tour of the temple premises with its eyes covered.

Hello and welcome to our live blog! Follow this space for the latest updates on the Ram Temple consecration ceremony.