January 22, 2024
NEW DELHI – Ayodhya is all set for the big consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir on Monday. The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Shri Ram Lalla, a child version of Lord Ram, will be held from 12.05 am to 12.55M.
The ceremony will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will take part in the ritual as “pratikatmak yajman” or symbolic host.
The cloth tied on the statue of Ram Lalla will be unveiled in front of PM Modi. The prime minister will apply kajal to Lord Ram with a gold needle and show him in the mirror.
A ‘pran pratishtha’ is a Hindu religious ritual by which an idol of the deity is consecrated. ‘Pran’ means life and ‘pratishtha’ refers to establishment.
So, in simple terms, ‘pran’ or life will be established in the idol before it opens eyes for the first time. Untill then, the eyes of the idol are kept closed.
Massive arrangements have been made for the mega ceremony which will be attended by thousands of VVIPs, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bacchan, Akshay Kumar and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The temple has been decorated with multi-coloured flowers of several verities and devotional songs dedicated to Lord Ram are being played across the town on loudspeakers.
Lakhs of people from all parts of the country have already arrived in Ayodhya to witness the seminal event.
In view of threats, unprecedented security arrangements have been made in Ayodhya to ensure the ceremony is held peacefully.
Uttar Pradesh Police has already deployed thousands of police personnel in the temple town. Seven companies of CAPF, two anti-drone systems, and two NSG sniper teams have also been stationed in the city.
On special request form the UP police, 25 VR cars, 10 vehicle-mounted jammers, and six vehicle-mounted X Ray baggage scanners have also been stationed in the city.
According to reports, 17 superintendents of police, 24 assistant superintendents of police, 44 additional superintendents of police, 140 police deputy superintendents, and 208 inspectors, have been alloted to Ayodhya.
Besides, around 1200 sub-inspectors, over 80 assistant sub-inspectors, and more than 4,350 police officers have been deployed across the city.
The authorities are also using advanced technology to keep a vigil and surveillance drones are scanning the ground for suspicious activities. More than 10,000 artificial intelligence based cameras with face recognition technology have been installed in the city.
Meanwhile, several teams of NDRF and SDRF have also been stationed in Ayodhya for swift emergency response in case of any eventuality.