When is Ram Temple inauguration in Ayodhya?

Who have been invited to the event?

The Ram Temple Trust has invited all former prime ministers, all national party chiefs, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, the Dalai Lama, and actors Amitabh Bachchan, Rajnikanth, Madhuri Dixit Nene, among a legion of prominent personalities from different walks of life for the grand event. It has also invited BJP stalwarts L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi as well as senior party leaders Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar — who had been the faces of the Ram Temple movement — for the occasion.

Meanwhile, as a few Opposition leaders turned down the invitation to attend the ceremony, the BJP reacted stating that “only those invited by Lord Ram will come.”

What is PM Modi’s itinerary besides the temple event?

PM Modi is slated to arrive in the temple town on December 30. During his visit, Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and a new airport, and address a rally, officials earlier said. 1.5 to 2 lakh people from nearby districts expected to gather for the prime minister’s public meeting. According to the UP government, more than 200 projects worth Rs 30,923 crore are underway in Ayodhya at present, associated with 37 departments.

What are the preparations made for the ceremony?

Large number of shops have been set on the ‘Ram Path’, a name now given to a redeveloped 13-km road that connects Sahadatganj and Naya Ghat. Birla Dharmshala to Naya Ghat is currently dotted with vendors selling saffron flags bearing ‘Jai Shri Ram’, images of Lord Ram, Ram Durbar, and an artistic rendition of the upcoming Ram temple. These thematic artworks have been done as part of the efforts to decorate the city for the “big day on January 22”, a senior official in the PWD of the Uttar Pradesh government said.

How much money has been spent on the temple?

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust spent Rs 900 crore on the construction of the Ram Temple between February 5, 2020 and March 31, 2023, trust officials have stated. On January 22, only those who have invitation letters or are posted on government duty will be able to come to Ayodhya.