A man looks on, outside the temple of Lord Ram, on the eve of its opening, in Ayodhya, January 21, 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
The Ram temple in Ayodhya is all decked up to be inaugurated tomorrow amid the high profile 'pran pratishtha' ceremony. The event will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and scores of other dignitaries from all over the country.
All the guests coming to the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22 will be given ‘gifts’ related to the temple inauguration, the Uttar Pradesh government said on Saturday.
However, the chosen date to enshrine Lord Ram - January 22 - has generated a lot of curiosity among people.
In this article, we'll discuss about the significance of this day, and why it was chosen by the priests to consecrate the idol of Lord Ram in the new temple.
As per Vedic astrology, the auspicious time for consecration of Ram Lalla will last only for exact 84 seconds — from 12:29:08 PM to 12:30:32 PM. This will be followed by 'Mahapuja' and 'Mahaarti'.
According to Hindu calendar, January 22 is the Dwadashi date of 'Shukla Paksha' of 'Pausha' month. This date is the time of 'Yoga Brahma' and 'Mrigashira Nakshatra'. 'Indra Yoga' will start at 8:47 AM.
Astrologers also say that January 22 is 'Karma Dwadashi'. This date is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. As per Hindu mythology, Vishnu took the 'Kurma' (tortoise) form on this day and helped in the churning of the ocean (Sagar Manthan). Hence, the day is considered auspicious for 'pran pratishtha' of Ram temple.
Combination of three auspicious events
Astrologers also claim that three auspicious 'yogas' are also being formed of January 22 - Amrit Siddhi, Sarvatha Siddhi yoga, and Ravi Yoga.
Meanwhile, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust said, more than 11,000 guests from across the country have been invited for the consecration ceremony and they will be given “memorable gifts” such as 'Ramraj' — the soil extracted during the temple's foundation laying. It is a matter of good fortune to have this soil in any house. They will be able to use this “sacred gift” in their home gardens or pots.
(With PTI inputs)