M S Dhoni, archer Deepika Kumari among 16 invited for Ram Mandir consecration from Jharkhand

Ranchi: Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, archer Deepika Kumari and folk singer Mukund Nayak are among the 16 distinguished individuals from Jharkhand who have been invited for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.

Senior RSS functionary Dhananjay Singh on Monday handed over the invitation to Dhoni at his residence in Ranchi. BJP organising secretary Karmaveer Singh was also present on the occasion.

Singh told PTI: "We handed over the invitation card to him (Dhoni) on behalf of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22." Singh said that Dhoni and his family members expressed their happiness after receiving the invitation.

"As many as 16 distinguished personalities including senior BJP leader and Padma Bhusan Karia Munda, Padma Shri Mukund Nayak, Padma Shri archer Deepika Kumari, AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto have been invited for the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya," he said.

Singh added that 69 people from the sage fraternity from Jharkhand have also been invited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the temple on the day.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal during his Jharkhand visit on January 10 had said that around 7,000 people, including approximately 100 representatives from abroad, will attend the ceremony.