The World Hindu Foundation’s founder and global chairman, Swami Vigyananand, announced on Sunday that approximately one hundred dignitaries, including ambassadors and Members of Parliament, have been invited to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
The countries that have been invited include Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Botswana, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Dominica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, Uganda, UK, USA, Vietnam, and Zambia.
According to VHP Joint General Secretary Swami Vigyananand, who is in charge of the group’s international relations, the leaders of the participating nations will be present at the Ram Temple event. Swami Vigyananand added that all of the international VVIP delegates would land in Lucknow on January 20 and travel to Ayodhya by evening on January 21. “The delegates have been asked to travel to India prior to the event due to the fog and weather conditions,” he continued.
Swami Vigyananand had earlier said that they had planned to invite more overseas guests but due to the small place, they had to cut down on the guest list.
Preparations are underway in full swing for the grand temple opening, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.