E-Paper
Ram Navami: 50 devotees will be allowed to attend special puja at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya
As it will not be possible to allow entry to all devotees on Ram Navami, the Trust has decided to show the ceremony live on LED screens at select locations across Ayodhya
A limited number of devotees will be allowed to attend special puja at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya on Ram Navami falling on April 10.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will allow around 50 devotees to attend aarti and other ceremonies at the makeshift Ram temple at Ram Janmabhoomi on Ram Navami, a Trust member said. This is the first time in decades that their participation would be allowed there during the festival.
The Trust is expecting a large turnout of devotees at Ram Janmabhoomi on Ram Navami. As it will not be possible to allow entry to all of them, the Trust has decided to show the ceremony live on LED screens at select locations across Ayodhya.
The nine-day Navratri festival will begin on April 2 and end on Ram Navami.
After the Supreme Court’s verdict in favour of Ram temple on November 9, 2019, this will be first grand Ram Navami celebrations at Ram Janmabhoomi. Before the verdict, general devotees were not allowed there on Ram Navami as it was a disputed site then.
Besides, owing to Covid-19, there were no large-scale Ram Navami celebrations in Ayodhya in the last two years.
“As the makeshift temple at Ram Janmabhoomi has a limited capacity, only 50 devotees will be allowed to attend special puja ceremony on Ram Navami,” said Anil Mishra, member of the Trust.
The makeshift temple will be decorated with “phool bangla jhanki” (floral decoration) and Ram Lalla (the infant Ram) will be offered “chhappan bhog” prasad.
“Celebrations at Ram Janmabhoomi will start from April 2. Previously, on Ram Navami only traditional prasad was offered. But this year, chhappan bhog will be offered,” said Acharya Satyendra Das, head priest of the makeshift temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.
“Ram Lalla will be dressed in new clothes and a golden crown will also be offered to the deity,” added Das.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had relocated the idol of Ram Lalla from a tent-shelter to a makeshift temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex at a special ceremony in the early hours of March 25, 2020, on the first day of Navratri that year.
