The new idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi temple on Thursday afternoon, days ahead of the grand consecration ceremony on January 22.
On Thursday afternoon, the Ram Lalla idol was placed in the sanctum sanctorum, Arun Dixit, a priest associated with the consecration ceremony, told news agency PTI.
This was done amid the chanting of prayers, according to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the body overseeing the construction of the temple. Present at the ceremony were Anil Mishra, Champat Rai and Swami Govind Giri.
The idol – made of black stone – depicts the deity as a five-year-old child in a standing posture. The face of the 51-inch idol, sculpted by Mysuru-based artist Arun Yogiraj, was covered with a veil.
Ram Lalla idol installation
An eyewitness said that given the idol’s 200-kg weight and the restricted space for movement in the sanctum sanctorum, the installation was supervised by a team of engineers, Indian Express reported.
The idol was draped with wet cloth as part of the “Jaladhivas” ritual and then covered in a special paste made of Chandan and Kesar as part of “Gandhadhivas” ritual.
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In parallel, rituals have also begun on the old idol, which is being referred to as “Rajat” or “Utsav” idol.
After the idol was installed, the sanctorum was cleaned and covered with a curtain. Only the Acharya performing the puja along with the “Yajman” will be allowed access to perform a series of rituals: starting with Ganesh Ambika Pujan, Varun Pujan and the Vastu Pujan.
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The “mandap” was also prepared today to set the stage for the “hawan” which begins Friday in the run-up to the consecration on January 22.