"Restoration of India's honour": Ayodhya temple trust chief on Jan 22 consecration
New Delhi: Ahead of the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the general secretary of Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, Champat, Rai on Saturday said the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the shrine would mark the restoration of India's honour.
Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Rai said, "The eventual installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple will give me a feeling of immense satisfaction. I believe that the strides we have made so far in raising the temple marks the restoration of India's honour."
He added that people involved in achieving this milestone were akin to the unheralded crusaders for the country's independence.
"All those who fought for the temple are just as important to the country as the ones who fought for our independence in 1947. The people of Ayodhya, erstwhile princely states in our neighbourhood and seers from all over the country came together for the Ram Temple movement post 1983. The issue of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, in time, came to be synonymous with our national pride and prestige," Rai told ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Lord Ram at the grand temple on January 22.
Preparations are underway on a war footing for the event, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life.
Apart from political and religious leaders, Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, have been invited to the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22, next year.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, holds great spiritual, historical and cultural significance for the people of India.
The trust has also invited 4,000 saints of all sects for the ceremony.
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, next year, a week before the main ceremony.
A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahautsav.
A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand consecration of the Ram Temple.
According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people.
Local authorities are gearing up for the anticipated surge in visitors around the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth and spiritually enriching experience for all attendees.
