Proposed model of Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Preparations are in full swing for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya on January 22 next year.
An 86-year old well-versed Vedic scholar, Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, has been chosen by authorities to lead the assembly of priests during the consecration. An interesting connection is revealed when one traces Laxmikant’s lineage.
According to a report in The Times of India, Laxmikant’s ancestor, a 17th-century Kashi scholar Gaga Bhatt, was the priest who was in charge during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation back in 1674.
The scholar attributed the responsibility of being in-charge of the temple consecration to the “blessings bestowed upon him by the legendary saints and seers of Kashi”.
“I will perform my duties with the blessings of Lord Ram,” the veteran was quoted as saying by the publication.
The series of rituals before the main ceremony will start on January 16, headed by Laxmikant and a group of 121 scholars, out of which 40 hail from Kashi.
Laxmikant’s son Sunil Laxmikant Dixit said that his father has specialised in ‘srauta’, ‘smarta’, ‘yajna’, consecration and other rituals.
"My father's study of the Vedas and rituals was under the supervision of his uncle Ganesh Dixit Javji Bhatt. He completed his studies in Shukla Yajurveda at Sangved Vidyalaya and took up teaching in the same institution," he told TOI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Ram temple 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony in Ayodhya.