As the country awaited the grand opening of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday reached ‘Ram Nagri’ to take stock of the arrangments and preparations for the mega ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.
CM Adityanath offered prayers at Hanuman Garhi temple, one of the popular shrines dedicated to Lord Hanuman.
Thereafter, the CM reached the Ram Mandir, where he performed ‘Aarti’ and ‘Parikrama’ of Shri Ram Lalla.
On January 22, Ram Lalla will be enthroned or ceremonially seated in the sanctum sanctorum of the majestic temple amid Vedic chants and rituals.
The idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ayodhya on Thursday.
Covered with a veil, the first photo of the idol was revealed during the placement ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday.
The images were shared by Sharad Sharma, media in-charge of Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Brahmins and revered Acharyas were seen leading worship ceremonies inside the sacred precincts of the Sri Ram Temple.
The visit on Friday marked Chief Minister Adityanath’s third to Ayodhya within 11 days. He was seen making enquiries about preparations for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event from officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust during this visit.
He also interacted with seers and mahants, taking stock of necessary arrangements while making enquiries about further requirements, if any.
People associated with the trust briefed the chief minister on all the developments around the January 22 event.
Cabinet and in-charge and minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister for Culture Jaiveer Singh, Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi, MP Lallu Singh, and MLAs Ved Prakash Gupta, Dr Amit Singh Chauhan, Ramchandra Yadav, among others, were also present in the city.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla at the temple in Ayodhya on January 22. A team of priests, led by Lakshmikant Dixit, will officiate the main rituals around the ceremony.
Several celebrities and top dignitaries from diverse fields have also been invited to the ceremony.
Various activities have been planned by organisations and groups across India and abroad in the lead-up to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya.