Ayodhya Ram Mandir news highlights: 7-day ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony begins with Vedic rituals

Hanumangarhi temple priest Mahant Raju Das on Tuesday rejected Congress leader Digvijay Singh's statement that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has not been built on the "disputed" land that the Supreme Court gave to the Temple Trust. He said that the temple is being constructed exactly at the place for which the Hindu organisations fought.

"They said that the temple is not being constructed where the court had ordered. Then where is it being constructed? Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should come and tell," Mahant Raju Das said while talking to ANI.

"The temple is being constructed exactly at the place for which we fought," he added.

His statement came after Digvijay Singh alleged on Tuesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and RSS wanted to demolish the Babri Masjid and not build a temple because until the mosque is demolished, the issue does not become a communal issue.

On Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Nirmohi Akhara Mahant Dinendra Das says, "The place where Ram Lalla was there, belonged to Nirmohi Akhara and prayers were being offered there... Before the Supreme Court's order, aarti was being performed but the officials stopped us... But after the Supreme Court's decision, the whole property of Ram Lalla was regained. Our 'panch', all saints and Ram devotees all over the world are excited..."

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj participates in a Sunderkand Paath recitation, organised by his party, in Chirag Dilli area.

Rituals in the run-up to the January 22 Ram Mandir consecration ceremony started at the temple complex here on Tuesday, its chief priest said.

These will continue till January 21. On January 22, the minimum essential rituals needed for the "Pran Pratishtha" (consecration) of the idol of Ram Lalla will be conducted, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai had told reporters on Monday.

"The 'anushthan' has started and will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. Eleven priests are performing the rituals invoking all the "devis and devtas" (goddesses and gods)," Ram temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said.

On security arrangements in Ayodhya in view of Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony, Prashant Kumar, Special DG Law & Order says, "...There will be a separate dress code for the police at the places where the general public or common devotees will visit. All the policemen deployed there will be without weapons and the policemen with weapons will be in police uniform. We have also included technology and monitoring will be done through cameras. Some trainee IP officers who have come from different states have also been deployed as people speaking different languages will come to Ayodhya and all arrangements have been made for their smooth experience..."

Bhog of 1000 kilograms of laddus sent from Shri Krishna's birthplace to Ayodhya

The 108-feet incense stick, which reached Ayodhya from Gujarat, was lit in the presence of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra president Mahant Nrityagopal Das Maharaj on Tuesday as the rituals for the 'Pran Pratistha' ahead of the mega temple opening next week, began today.

On Pink auto service started by UP government, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary Champat Rai says, "This vehicle, free from any pollution, provided by the UP government is for the people of Ayodhya... This is an appreciable step..."

In response to the Prime Minister's call for the cleaning up of temples, Union Minister Anurag Thakur cleaned the premises of Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place (CP) in Delhi on Tuesday.

The Union Minister reached the temple at CP in the morning and wiped clean the floor of the temple premises.

Anurag Thakur, while speaking to media personnel, said, "The dustbin is kept on one side while the garbage has been thrown on the other side. I think this mindset needs to change."

Musicians from different states of India will perform at the Ram Mandir inauguration on January 22, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra general secretary Champat Rai told news agency PTI. These musicians belong to Uttar Pradesh's Pakhawaj to Tamil Nadu's Mridang.

Sivasri Skandaprasad, who sang a Kannada rendition of 'Poojisalende' says, "It is such a happy moment for me...I have no words to describe the emotion that I am experiencing now. It is a goosebump moment. It is a blessing from Lord Ram himself..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted a Kannada rendition of the song by Skandaprasad, appreciating her for "beautifully highlighting the spirit of devotion to Prabhu Shri Ram"

Ahead of Ram Mandi's 'Pran Pratistha' on January, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going to organise a grand Sunderkand programme across all constituencies of Delhi today. It was announced by AAP senior leader and Delhi Culture Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday. He said that Sunderkand is a chapter in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. "As you know, Sunderkand programmes used to be organised by the party and by the party MLAs at their respective levels in different assemblies of Delhi. The party has reconstituted the organisation in Delhi, and with it the Sunderkand programme will be run in a structured manner," Bharadwaj told mediapersons on Monday.

On the 'Pran Pratistha' Ceremony to be held in Ayodhya, Spiritual leader Devki Nandan Thakur says, "It is a matter of good fortune for us but some people are making it an issue... When Sardar Patel took the initiative to construct the Shri Somnath temple, even the 'Garbhagriha' was not completed, but the 'Prana Pratishtha' was done. But the 'Garbhagriha' (of Ram temple) is ready and the ground floor has also been completed...''

On Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's tweet, Hanumangarhi temple priest Mahant Raju Das says, " It is because of the Congress that this issue went on for so long. Congress tried to prove Lord Ram as fictional for their political gain. They kept Lord Ram in a tent... Congress shot cows and Hindu saints in Delhi. They have tried to demean Sanatana Dharma multiple times. This is the same Digvijaya Singh who wrote in his book that Hindu saints are spreading more extremism than Boko Haram. It is the Congress Party and Digvijaya Singh that coined the term 'Saffron terrorism'..."

On Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony, Vedic Priest Sunil Laxmikant Dixit says, "Around 150 scholars will participate in the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. This prayer will begin today and will continue till the evening of January 22... For the purification of the 'Yajman' and for gaining the rights to perform the prayers, today the 'Prayashchit' prayer will be performed. Vishnu Pooja, 'Godaan',... would be performed. After that, after cleansing the idol, it will be moved towards the temple..."

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called everyone to clean the temples across the country before the Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. We too, did a cleanliness drive at Mumba Devi Temple, Mumbai's diety. People of all religions should go to their places of faith..."

The soil of Ram Janmabhoomi that was taken out during the digging of the foundation will be packed in boxes and presented to the guests attending the consecration ceremony on January 22, the temple trust said.

Infrared outdoor heaters installed at several locations across Ayodhya to help people stay warm amid the dropping temperatures. The heaters have been installed by Nagar Nigam Ayodhya.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday welcomed the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla to be organised in Ayodhya on January 22 but said she is yet to take a decision on attending it despite receiving an invitation as she is busy due to party work.

Sharda Peeth Shankaracharya Jagadguru Sadanand Saraswati on Monday said that every devotee of Lord Ram and follower of the Sanatan Dharma is "extremely happy" for the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of Ram Temple on January 22.

"We have been waiting for a long time for this moment. This place was disputed for centuries. The temple is being built according to the orders given by the court and now Pran Pratishtha is going to take place... Every devotee of Lord Ram and follower of the Sanatan Dharma is extremely happy. This should have happened long back," Sharda Peeth Shankaracharya told ANI.

Earlier today, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai on Monday announced that the idol of lord Ram will be placed at its position at the 'Garbh Griha' of the temple on January 18 and Pran Pratishtha will take place at 12.20 pm on January 22.

The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has ordered that liquor shops across the district will remain closed on January 22 on the occasion of the “pran pratishtha” or consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, officials said on Monday.

Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday disclosed crucial details about the upcoming pran prathistha ceremony of Shri Ram Lala in the newly constructed grand Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya.

According to CMO, the program and worship ritual of Shri Ram Lalla in his new grand temple in Ayodhya Dham on January 22 will start from January 16, while the idol which is to be placed in the sanctum sanctorum on January 18.

The Pran Pratishtha program, marking the pran prathistha of Shri Ram Lalla, is slated for January 22, taking place during the auspicious Abhijit Muhurta of Paush Shukla Dwadashi at 12:20 pm.

From Uttar Pradesh's Pakhawaj to Tamil Nadu's Mridang, different classical instruments from across the country will be played to celebrate the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, the temple trust said on Monday.

Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, said musicians from different parts of India have been selected to perform during the grand function on January 22.

Asked about questions raised by many on the ceremony being held in an "incomplete temple", Rai said, "I will not respond to any criticism".

He said the 'Pran Pratishtha' at the temple will begin at 12:20 pm and is expected to be completed by 1 pm.

As the country looks forward to the grand 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at Ayodhya's historic Ram Temple, Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said that Lord Ram is a symbol of 'unity in diversity' and that every citizen of the country must be proud of it.

The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple will be held on January 22.

However, the 'Vedic' rituals are set to begin today, a week before the main ceremony.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said, "I would see January 22 as a paradigm shift in India's journey as the Bharatiya civilization date. Ram is a symbol of unity, and I think every Indian and every Bharatiya must be proud of it. For me, Ram is a symbol of unity in diversity."