E-Paper
Cold wave condition to prevail during Ram Temple's ‘pran prathishtha’ in Ayodhya
The IMD warned of ‘moderate to dense fog conditions’ in Ayodhya during the morning hours on Monday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a ‘cold wave’ advisory for Ayodhya on the day of the ‘pran prathishtha’ ceremony for the Ram Temple, scheduled for Monday. The event involves the installation of Lord Ram Lalla's idol in the temple. The IMD warned of ‘moderate to dense fog conditions’ in the city during the morning hours on Monday.
The dedicated webpage for Ayodhya's weather forecast on the IMD site said, “On Monday, the weather is expected to be dry with moderate to dense fog (100-400 meters visibility) in the morning, followed by a partly cloudy sky later.”
The prediction indicated minimum temperatures range from 6 to 8 degrees Celsius and maximum temperatures for the day will be between 15 to 17 degrees Celsius. Ayodhya recorded a minimum temperature of 6.5 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 12.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, with visibility reported at 1100 metres.
Monday's grand inauguration of the temple will witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with various celebrities, political leaders, and business figures. The ceremony will commence with a morning puja and the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in the 'Mrigashira Nakshatra,' expected to begin around 12.30pm and conclude at 1pm.
The foundation stone for the temple was laid on August 5, 2020, following the historic Supreme Court judgement on November 9, 2019. The court ruled that the entire 2.77 acres of disputed land in Ayodhya be handed over to a trust for the construction of the Ram temple, with an additional five acres allocated at a ‘prominent site’ in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.
Weather condition in North India
The IMD said that jet stream winds, ranging from 140 to 160 knots at 12.6 km above mean sea level, are currently prevalent over the plains of North India. This is causing the subsidence of cold air, leading to the enhancement of cold waves or cold day conditions across the region. The weather agency anticipates a continuation of a similar-intensity winds over the next three to four days.
According to the IMD's statement for Uttar Pradesh,“Dense to Very Dense fog (visibility<50 meters) in night/morning hours very likely in some parts of Uttar Pradesh on 21st & 22nd January 2024.” The agency has also indicated that cold to very severe cold day conditions are expected to persist in many parts of Uttar Pradesh from Sunday until January 25.
Additionally, the IMD has issued a fog alert for the states of Punjab, Chandigarh, and Delhi, saying, “Dense to Very Dense fog (visibility<50 meters) in night/morning hours very likely in some parts of Punjab on 21st & 22nd January, 2024.”
