Mahant Nritya Gopal Das lights a 108-ft long incense stick (dhoop-batti) brought from Vadodara in Gujarat ahead of the Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratishthan' programme, in Ayodhya district, Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: The rituals leading to the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) at the Ram temple began in Ayodhya on Tuesday with Vedic scholars from 'Kashi' (the old name of Varanasi) holding a 'puja' after taking a bath in the sacred Sarayu river.
According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, responsible for overseeing the construction of the Ram temple, the new idol of Ram Lalla is scheduled to be installed at the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple on Thursday.
The officials added that the old idol of Ram Lalla, which is currently being worshipped, would also be installed at the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple.
The officials mentioned that scholars, carrying the items for the 'puja,' arrived at the Vivek Shrishti Ashram in the town in the afternoon and initiated the rituals. They added that 'prayashchit' (atonement) and ''karma kuti pujan'' would be conducted on Tuesday as part of the rituals.
The chief 'yajamana' (the person on whose behalf a religious ritual or yajna is performed by the priests), Anil Mishra, and Arun Yogiraj, who sculpted the new Ram Lalla idol, participated in the rituals. There were a total of 11 'yajmanas' who commenced an eight-day observance of various rituals, aligned with Vedic traditions, in Ayodhya starting Monday.
The rituals are scheduled to continue until January 21. Scholars mentioned that only a few rituals will be performed on January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. One of the priests associated with the rituals stated, ''The main consecration ceremony will begin at 12:20 hours on Monday and it will last only for 40 minutes.''
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, are expected to be inside the sanctum-sanctorum during the consecration ceremony. Following the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi will address the gathering.
Additionally, on Tuesday, a massive incense stick weighing around 3600 kilograms and measuring 108 feet long was lit in Ayodhya. The incense stick was brought from Gujarat.