On Monday, January 22, all eyes were on the Ayodhya district in Uttar Pradesh as the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla’s idol took place in the newly constructed Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
Thousands of Indians celebrated in the streets, adorned in saffron garments and waving saffron flags, while chanting religious slogans. The ceremony marked a significant moment for the Hindu majority in the world’s most populous nation.
In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hindus, granting them the land and directing the allocation of a separate plot for Muslims to build a new mosque, which is yet to commence construction. The main ceremony took place starting at 12:20 p.m. (0650 GMT), lasting 40 minutes, during which a blindfold on the 51-inch (130-cm) tall deity was removed as part of the concluding rituals in the consecration ceremonies that began over a week ago.
Approximately 8,000 people, including prominent figures from business, entertainment, and sports, attended the invitation-only event. To ensure security and prevent gatecrashers, over 10,000 police personnel were deployed across the city of 3 million people.
The temple will to open to the public on Tuesday, with the management anticipating at least 100,000 visitors daily in the initial months. The consecration has sparked religious enthusiasm nationwide, prompting several states to declare Monday a holiday. Stock markets were closed, and homes and businesses were illuminated following Prime Minister Modi’s call to observe it as another Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
The city of Ayodhya witnessed this event, which holds particular importance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party seeks a third term in the upcoming elections scheduled by May. The temple’s inauguration and the ceremonies surrounding it have become a focal point, symbolizing a deeply significant cultural and religious moment for the people of India.
The temple’s design, adhering to the traditional Nagara style, boasts dimensions of 380 feet in length, 250 feet in width, and 161 feet in height. Crafted by Chandrakant Sompura and his son Ashish, the expansive temple complex spans 70 acres, with the main temple area covering 2.7 acres and a built-up space of approximately 57,000 square feet. The entire structure, valued at Rs 1,800 crore, has been funded by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which has garnered over Rs 3,500 crore in donations from both India and abroad.
The consecration ceremony today will involved the placement of the Ram Lalla idol, intricately carved by the renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Karnataka. Installed in the sanctum sanctorum on January 18 as part of the rituals, the 51-inch coloured idol depicts Lord Ram as a five-year-old child. Alongside this new idol, the current Ram Lalla idol, venerated for the past 70 years, also found its place in the sanctum sanctorum of the new temple.
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