Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated in third week of January

Ram temple in Ayodhya would be inaugurated between January 14-24, said a temple construction committee member. The preparations (Pooja) for the inauguration will start on Jan 14 and the inauguration date will be finalised after confirmation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Talking to The Hindu, a senior member of the temple trust said that the trust has proposed holding the ‘Pranpratistha’ (consecration ceremony) of the Ram Lalla in the temple which is under construction, on January 21-24 next year.

People walk past the under-construction Ram Temple in Ayodhya on July 9, 2023. (Source: AP)

“We have been told that auspicious time will start from January 14 and ‘shubh mahurat’ is anytime between January 15 to 24. As the Pranpratistha pooja takes days, the pooja will start from January 14 and the Prime Minister will confirm his availability for the final day,” he said.

An official letter for the availability of the PM Modi has been already sent, confirmed Ram Temple trust’s General Secretary Champat Rai. He also informed that apart from PM, eminent personalities will be invited for the ‘Pranpratistha’. The trust plans to invite over 25,000 Hindu religious leaders of 136 ‘Sanatan’ traditions for the ceremony.

The temple trust is expecting around 10,000 people to attend the event, inside the temple. While the number of pilgrims may go into millions on the day of the consecration ceremony and for the management of the crowd, the district administration has been asked to ensure smooth movement of the devotees.

The trust will feed 1 lakh saints and devotees everyday for 30 days before inauguration.

A religious flag is seen in front of the under-construction Hindu Ram Temple in Ayodhya on July 9, 2023. (Source: Reuters)

The temple — which is being built after the Supreme Court of India in its judgement in 2019, maintained that the Muslim community was wrongfully deprived of their 450-year-old mosque but goes on to reject their claim for the exclusive title and possession of the land in Ayodhya — will be situated in 67.3 acres of land accorded to it under the Supreme Court judgement. The temple construction committee has also acquired 71 acres of land to build the public utilities near the temple whose construction is funded through donations from the public, and around ₹3500 crores have been collected so far.