Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh):
In the five days leading up to Saturday’s Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, Vedic rites including sugar and fruit offerings, daily prayers, and Havan were performed.
On January 20, 2024, the regular prayers and rituals (havan, etc.) took place. Sugar and fruit rituals were also practiced. The courtyard of the temple was designated for the worship of 81 Kalash. Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth wrote on X that evening puja and aarti were also performed.
आज दिनांक 20 जनवरी 2024 को मण्डप में नित्य पूजन, हवन, पारायण आदि कार्य भव्यता से संपन्न हुए। प्रातः भगवान् का शर्कराधिवास, फलाधिवास हुआ। मन्दिर के प्रांगण में 81 कलशों की स्थापना एवं पूजा हुई। 81 कलशों से प्रासाद का स्नपन मन्त्रों से भव्य रूप में सम्पन्न हुआ। प्रासाद अधिवासन,… pic.twitter.com/FvU1axRBZD
— Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (@ShriRamTeerth) January 20, 2024
Additionally, the trust announced that on Sunday, the statue will be bathed using water from eleventy-four vases, or Kalash.
Our daily puja of the gods with Havan will be performed tomorrow, Sunday. Afterwards, 114 kalash (vases) will be filled with medicinal water to bathe the statue. According to the announcement, there will be a night vigil called ‘Vyahati Hom,’ along with usual evening puja and aarti.
On the other hand, the Ayodhya temple’s entrance gate was adorned with posters picturing the infant Lord Ram on Saturday, two days before the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ celebration on January 22.
‘Pran Pratishtha’ and the ceremonial opening of the temple on Monday had the entire town of Ayodhya in a frenzy of activity.
Famous Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj had earlier on Friday put the idol of Shri Ram Lalla within the temple’s inner sanctuary.
The first photo of the covered idol was unveiled during Thursday’s placing ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum.
The top priest of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, told reporters on Friday, “The eyes of the deity are hidden behind a piece of cloth as they cannot be revealed before the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.”
On the other hand, a number of fake photos of the idol—one of which had her eyes covered—went popular online.
“As per our beliefs, the eyes of the idol cannot be revealed before the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ is completed,” Acharya Satyendra Das told ANI, denying that the photographs that went viral were of the actual idol. Those pictures of the idol’s eyes are fake. Additionally, if the idol in the pictures that have gone viral is real, then the person responsible for revealing the eyes and leaking the pictures should be investigated.
According to our scriptures and beliefs, all procedures and rituals shall be carried out. The seer mentioned that the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ must be completed before Ram Lalla’s eyes are shown.
A complement of priests selected from all throughout the nation will officiate the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ritual, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will oversee. It is Lakshami Kant Dixit’s job to lead a group of priests.
