Lucknow, 16 Jan: The new Lord Ram idol will be placed in the ‘garbha grih’ on January 18, and the grand Ram temple will be open to devotees on January 23, a day after the Shri Ram Lalla consecration ceremony, which is scheduled for January 22 at 12:20 p.m. during Paush Shukla Dwadashi Abhijit Muhurta.
On January 20-21, the Ram temple will temporarily cease darshan of Shri Ram Lalla. During this time, priests will plan worship, aarti, bhog, sleep, and jagran. Given the daily flood of 25,000 to 30,000 devotees, the decision was made to restrict the darshan on January 20-21 to enable for the smooth completion of interior arrangements.
Darshan of the new idol will be offered to the general public from January 23. On the occasion of Pran Pratistha, dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Adityanath Yogi, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Governor Anandi Ben Patel, Ram Janmabhoomi Trust President Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, and all trustees will be present in the ‘garbha grih’ (sanctum sanctorum), according to Champat Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Meanwhile, Shri Ramlalla Pran Pratishtha’s programme and devotional rituals began on Tuesday. The rites commenced at 1.30 p.m. with Dr Anil Mishra’s Dasavidhi bath. Karmakuti will be revered on the idol construction site. Havan will take place in the evening at Vivek Srishti, the idol building site. Prayaschita will be performed using havan.
Champat Rai explained the Pran Pratishtha programme, stating that all preparations for the event had been finished. The Pran Pratishtha is slated to begin at 12:20 p.m., as determined by the respected priest of Varanasi, Ganeshwar Shastri.
He stated that Varanasi’s Laxmikant Dixit will be in charge of carrying out the complete Pran Pratistha rite.
He stated that the puja ceremonies will begin today and continue till January 21. Pran Pratishtha will be celebrated with the bare minimum of activities on January 22.
Rai further claimed that the statue to be dedicated is constructed of stone and weighs between 150 and 200 kilograms.
The statue depicts the figure of a 5-year-old child and is designed to be positioned in a standing posture.
Rai said that under the worship system, consecrated idols go through a procedure called as ‘Adhivas’, which creates various types of dwelling for the idol. These include living in water, food, fruits, medication, ghee, bed, and aroma. This is a really challenging procedure. He emphasized that the procedure will be carried out under the direction of religious authorities, recognizing the ritual’s intricacy and importance.
Saints representing over 150 different traditions, including Dharmacharya, Adivasi, Girivasi, and Samudravasi, have been invited to participate in the programme. In addition, individuals from many Indian fields, including as sports, science, military, administration, police, diplomacy, judiciary, literature, arts, painting, and sculpting, have been invited.
Over 500 members of the Engineer Group, who performed important roles in the temple’s construction, will also attend the occasion. Saints from all over India, speaking all languages, Shaiva, Vaishnav, Shakya, Ganpati worshippers, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and all philosophies, Kabir, Valmiki, Shankar Dev’s tradition from Assam, ISKCON, Gayatri, Mahima Samaj of Odisha, Barkari of Maharashtra, and Lingayat of Karnataka will be present.
He claimed that water came from a variety of sources, including Manasarovar, Amarnath, Gangotri, Haridwar, Prayagraj’s Sangam, Narmada, Godavari, Nashik, and Gokarna. Many individuals bring water and soil from their separate areas with dedication.
In accordance with our society’s typical practice of sharing presents, an extensive gift of cereals, fruits, garments, dried fruits, gold, and silver was offered from Birganj in South Nepal, which is tied to Mithila.
Likewise, officials from Sitamarhi, Sita Mata’s birthplace, have arrived with presents. Additionally, presents have been delivered from Chhattisgarh, Ram Ji’s maternal birthplace. A devout sadhu from Jodhpur also provided ghee from his cowshed.
Schedule of rituals:
January 16th: Prayaschita and Karmakuti Poojan.
January 17: Parisar Pravesh of the Murti.
A procession bearing the idol of Ram Lalla will go to Ayodhya, with devotees bringing Saryu water in Mangal Kalash to be given to the Ram Janmabhoomi shrine.
January 18th: Teerth Poojan, Jal Yatra, and Gandhadhivas.
Formal rites will begin, with the Ganesh Ambika Puja, Varun Puja, Matrika Puja, Brahmin Varan, and Vastu Puja.
January 19: Dhanyadhivas.
The holy fire will be lit, followed by the formation of ‘Navagraha’ and a ‘havan’ (a fire-based holy ceremony).
January 20: Sharkaradhivas and Phaladhivas.
The sanctuary sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple will be cleaned with Saryu water. Following that, the Vaastu Shanti and ‘Annadhivas’ ceremonies will take place.
January 21: Pushpadhivas.
The Ram Lalla idol will be bathed with 125 urns before being placed permanently.
January 22nd: Shaiyadhivas and consecration ceremony.
