Religious rituals for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir — scheduled for January 22 next year — have begun. Along with the Akshat Pooja (the consecration of rice grains), on Sunday, invitations for the nationwide Pran Pratishtha celebration were dispatched from Ayodhya. These invitations will be dispatched to five lakh villages. On the day of the Pran Pratishtha, the temples in these five lakh villages will conduct grand celebrations.
To ensure that these invitations for the temple’s consecration reach every household across the country, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and frontal organisations have deployed teams of several volunteers. On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram at the newly constructed temple.
Five kilograms of consecrated rice grains, dyed with turmeric, have been filled in brass urns in Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. Volunteers from 45 regions of the country received these urns and will carry them to a hundred locations in the country. From these locations, the grains will be collected and sent to temples in various districts. Each urn is filled with five kilograms of rice grains coloured with turmeric, accompanied by a letter related to the consecration of the Ram Mandir, urging devotees to celebrate the Pran Pratishtha at their local temples on January 22, 2024, instead of coming to Ayodhya.
They have been encouraged to gather in their local temples on the morning of January 22and engage in bhajans, pujas, kirtans, Hanuman Chalisa, Sundar Kand, and recitation of the victory mantras of Lord Ram. It is also recommended that those celebrating should light lamps in their homes in the evening and celebrate the joy of Lord Ram’s installation in the temple. The distribution of rice grains, with the goal of reaching every home, will be carried out between January 1 and 15, 2024. Attendees will also be invited to a darshan (sightseeing) programme. The Ram Mandir Trust will handle all arrangements for stay and food.
According to the Ram Mandir Trust, these programmes will commence on January 26, with an invitation extended to 25,000 devotees from each region for 48 days. In the run-up to the consecration, the Temple Committee has reviewed the progress of construction. According to the Trust, all necessary construction work for the Pran Pratishtha programme will be completed by December 15 this year. A local inspection was conducted on Sunday, where the progress of construction work was assessed.
The construction of the sanctum sanctorum is complete, and the work on the ground floor’s marble flooring is also close to completion. The roof of the Parikrama gate has been installed, and designs and sculptures have been carved on the temple walls and pillars. Now, the final phase involves lighting, as per safety standards, including CCTV cameras, fire lines, toilets, and a passenger facility centre.