The new Ram Lalla idol was consecrated at the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday amid grand celebrations in the town, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi participating in the rituals.
Dressed in a golden kurta teamed up with a cream dhoti, the prime minister walked inside the temple premises with a silver ‘chattar‘ (umbrella) placed on a red folded dupatta, before moving to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple to perform the rituals.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also present inside the sanctorum during the rituals.
‘Pran-Pratistha‘ is the act which transforms an idol into a deity, giving it the capacity to accept prayers and grant boons. For this, the statue has to go through various stages. Here we describe some of the prominent steps. The number of steps involved will depend on the scale of the ceremony.
The ‘pran-pratishta’ event saw many celebrities such as Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut and industrialists Mukesh and Anil Ambani present.
After the Pran Pratisthan ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered a lotus on the feet of Ram Lalla and took his blessings.
The grand event saw the presence of around 7,000 VVIPs from across the nation.
Flower petals were showered on the temple premises by Indian Air Force helicopters, when the consecration took place.
‘The extraordinary moment of the consecration of Shri Ram Lala’s life in Ayodhya Dham is going to leave everyone emotional. It is my great pleasure to be a part of this divine program. Hail Siya Ram!,’ PM Modi said on X.
Modi will later address the gathering after the ceremony and will also interact with workers associated with the construction of temple.. He is also scheduled to visit the Kuber Tila.
PM Modi said that it is a ‘great pleasure’ to be a part of this ‘divine program,’ adding ‘The supernatural moment of the consecration of Shri Ram Lala’s life in Ayodhya Dham is going to leave everyone emotional,’ he wrote on X in Hindi.
The rituals for the consecration ceremony started on January 16 with ‘prayaschit’ and ‘karmakuti’ puja being performed on that day.
The new 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla, which is carved by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, entered the premises on January 17 and was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple on January 18.
The idol has been decked with several jewellery pieces from head to toe. On its hands, there is a golden bow and arrow. The forehead is adorned with silver and red tilak.
The Ram Lalla idol is clad in a yellow dhoti and decked with an intricate flower decoration.
PM Modi followed a strict 11-day ‘anushthan’ and slept on the floor and had coconut water before the ceremony. He also visited several temples across India ahead of the ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Mandir and took a holy dip at the Rameswaram ‘Angi theerth‘ beach.
The entire city of Ayodhya has been decked up with several beautifications, cut outs of Lord Ram, posters bearing religious slogans to mark the auspicious event and massive security arrangements are in place for the ceremony.
To commemorate the occasion, the Centre gave half a day off to all Government employees including Public Sector Banks.
Several states have also followed Uttar Pradesh and declared a public holiday.