Ayodhya Ram Temple: Rituals for consecration ceremony commences | Here’s 7-day schedule

New Delhi: The seven-day rituals of the pre-Pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla at Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya started on Tuesday and will continue till January 21. The rituals will culminate on January 22 with the pran-prathistha ceremony.

The auspicious Pran-Pratistha of the Ram Lalla will be held on the upcoming Paush Shukla Kurmadwadashi, Vikram Samvat 2080, falling on January 22 in the Vikram Samvat 2080 calendar. Following all the Shaastriya (scriptural) protocols, the programme of Pran-Pratistha will be held in the ‘Abhijeet Muhurta’ in the afternoon.

7-Day Schedule of Pre-Praan Pratistha Rituals

• January 16: Prayaschita and Karmakuti Poojan
• January 17: Parisar Pravesh of the Murti
• January 18 (Evening): Teerth Poojan, Jal Yatra, Jalaadhivas and Gandhadhivas
• January 19 (Morning): Aushadhadhivas, Kesaradhivas, Ghritadhivas and Dhanyaadhivas (in the evening)
• January 20 (Morning): Sharkaradhivas, Phalaadhivas, and Pushpaadhivas (in the evening)
• January 21 (Morning): Madhyaadhivas and Shayyadhivas (in the evening)

About rituals and Acharayas

Generally, there are Seven Adhivaasas in the Pran Pratistha ceremony and a minimum of three Adhivasas are in practice. The rituals of Ram Mandir consecration will be performed by a total of 121 Acharyas.

Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid will oversee, coordinate, anchor, and direct all proceedings during the Anushthan, while Lakshmi Kant Dixit of Kashi will take on the role of the principal Acharya.

Acharyas of all schools of Bharatiya spiritualism, religion, sect, system of worship, tradition, Sants of more than 150 traditions, Mahamandaleshwars, Mandaleshwars, Shrimahants, Mahants, Nagas as well as leading figures of more than 50 Adivasi, Girivasi, Tatavasi, Dwipavasi tribal traditions will remain present to witness the Pran-Pratistha ceremony on the premises of the temple.
Inclusive Traditions

The traditions include Shaiva, Vaishnav, Shaakta, Gaanapatya, Patya, Sikh, Bauddha, Jain, Dashnaam Shankar, Ramanand, Ramanuj, Nimbarka, Madhva, Vishnu Nami, Ramsanehi, Ghisapanth, Garibdasi, Gaudiya, Kabirpanthi, Valmiki, Shankardev (Assam), Madhav Dev, ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Gayatri Parivar, Anukul Chandra, Thakur Parampara, Mahima Samaj of Odisha, Akali, Nirankari, Namdhari from Punjab, Radhasoami and Swaminarayan, Varkari, Veer Shaiva, etc.

Ram Lalla idol

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra announced the selection of a murti sculpted on Krishna Shila by the acclaimed artist Arun Yogiraj as the Shri Vigraha for Bhagwan Shri Ramlalla Sarkar.

The stone sculpture will depict a five-year-old Ram Lalla and is expected to weigh between 150 kg to 200 kg. The current idol of Ram Lalla, which is being worshipped for the last 70 years, will also be kept in the sanctum sanctorum of the new temple.
Distinguished Guests

The Prana Pratishtha will be conducted in the august presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other dignitaries.

Over 7,000 people have been invited by the temple trust and they include cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, and billionaire industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.

People from different states are continuously arriving in the holy city with symbolic offerings such as water, soil, gold, silver, gems, clothes, jewellery, huge bells, drums, aroma/fragrance items, etc. The most notable among them were the Bhaars (gifts sent at the time of setting up a daughter’s house) sent from Maa Janaki’s maternal homes at Janakpur in Nepal and Sitamarhi in Bihar which a large number of people carried to Ayodhya and also gifts of different types of jewellery, etc., were offered by the Nanihal (maternal grandmother’s place of Shri Ram) at Raipur, Dandakaranya area.