Religious fervour has gripped Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple on Monday. Tight security arrangements have been put in place as celebrities, dignitaries and a sea of devotees throng the temple town. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began an 11-day ‘Anushthan’ leading up to the big day today, is set to be part of the rituals on this historic day.
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The Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in the ceremony from 12.05 PM to 12.55 PM before addressing a gathering at a separate public function between 1 PM and 2 PM. The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Ayodhya at 10.45 AM and reach the Ram Temple at 10.55 AM. Modi’s visit is scheduled to end with a darshan at Kuber Tila around 2 pm.
Puja ceremonies began early Monday morning ahead of the consecration ceremony, which only has an 84-second window, at the Ram Temple. The rituals follow the culmination of the ‘Adhivas’ rituals, which began on January 16, on Sunday. The ceremonies over the past week saw the “Madhvadhivas” during which the 51-inch new idol of Ram Lalla was covered with honey.
The idol was then bathed with medicated water from 114 kalash (urns) as part of the “Snapan” ritual. The old idol or “Utsav” murti was placed in a palki decorated with flowers and taken for a tour of the new temple before being taken inside. The rituals ended with “Shayandhivas” with the idol being symbolically put to “sleep”.
According to the priests associated with the rituals, the eyes of the new Ram Lalla idol which was blindfolded on January 16, will be opened after it is bathed with water from 114 kalash as part of the ritual. After the blindfold is removed, the idol will be shown a mirror. Ghee and honey kept in a silver bowl will be applied to the eyes of the idol with a golden stick. The old idol will also be bathed and placed inside the garbha griha of the Ram Temple.
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Tight security arrangements have been put in place in Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony that is set to be attended by several VVIP guests. A multi-layered security plan has been put in place ahead of the event including the deployment of 10,000 CCTV cameras and around 13,000 forces. According to news agency ANI, anti-bomb and dog squads have also been pressed into service and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has set up a camp near the shrine in Ayodhya to respond to contingencies.
Snipers from the National Security Guard and Rapid Action Force personnel have also been deployed as part of the security plan. Police are conducting boat patrols on Sarayu river at frequent intervals. Anti-bomb and dog squads have been deployed at Ayodhya’s newly inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport as devotees and dignitaries started arriving in the city for the ‘Pran Pratistha’.
(With Agencies)