India is set to witness the writing of a proud chapter in its post-Independence history with the consecration of the long-awaited Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. A report from the holy city readying to become Hindu pilgrims’ mecca.
The atmosphere is electric in Ayodhya in northern India, with chants of Jai Sri Ram reverberating in its lanes and bylanes. The devotional fervor is at its peak in the capital city of Lord Ram from where he ruled as a benevolent king. Not as well-known as Benaras, Ayodhya is gearing up to witness the momentous occasion of the consecration ceremony at the Ram Mandir awaited by generations of Hindus.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust has decided to install the ‘Ram Lalla’ idol at the sanctum sanctorum of the magnificent temple that took five years to build. The trust has invited 4,000 saints of all sects for the ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inauguration in Ayodhya.
A 51-inch-tall Krishna Shila (Shyam Varn) idol of Lord Ram has been chosen for installation at the temple. The dark-hued idol is set to be a symbol of divinity, royalty, and the pure innocence of a child.
The idol arrived in Ayodhya on January 4. The meticulously crafted idol is poised to be placed on a lotus-shaped platform within the Garbha Griha of the Ram Temple.
Ram Parivar is the most common depiction of Lord Ram, shown with his wife, Sita, brother Lakshman, and devotee Hanuman. Ramayan, the story of his life, is the most popular scripture in Hinduism, and a subject of enactment in many forms in India and places like Bali.
Lord Ram is considered as an avatar of Vishnu, one of the trinity in Hinduism along with Brahma and Shiva, and is revered by millions of Hindus as an ideal man in all respects. Ramayan, the story of his life, is the most popular scripture in Hinduism, and subject of enactment in many forms in countries in the Far East.
The Ram Lalla idol has been carved by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj. Meanwhile, idols of Lord Hanuman, Rama’s favorite devotee, and Garuda the hawk-eagle, said to be the vehicle of Lord Vishnu in Hindu mythology, have been installed at the entrance of the grand Ram Temple.
Times Square in New York City will live-stream the consecration of Ram Temple, according to reports. Apart from its broadcast in all states of the US, the ceremony will also be telecast at various Indian embassies overseas.
The construction of Ram Mandir perfectly narrates the story of ‘Sabke Ram’ (Sri Ram belongs to everyone). If the stone being used in the construction of the Mandir is from Rajasthan, 44 doors of the mandir, including the Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum) and the main entrance are being designed by a team of carpenters from the temple towns of Tamil Nadu.
The Garbha Griha of the temple is from ancient Bharat. Even in 1989 when Shila Pujan (laying of the foundation) was performed, about 275,000 stones were brought from across the country, according to reports. More than 3,000 people from every state have worked on the construction of the Ram Temple.
Vedic rituals for the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the head priest of the temple, tells A Lotus In The Mud that the moment is personally very emotional for him, as Ayodhya brims with activities galore for the mega event.
“Some people have donated their lifetime’s savings for the construction of Ram Temple. The power of Ram Lalla is the ultimate truth that binds us all together,” he says.
Satyendra Das started worshiping Lord Ram as a priest about nine months before the controversial Babri Mosque demolition in 1992 and the ensuing court battles. Eventually, in 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the disputed site to be handed over to a trust to build the Hindu temple.
“I still do not know where I received such an energy which helped me continue for so many years. Now, the Ram Temple is near completion and the entire world is waiting for it to open to the public. We are here celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime moment for several generations,” he adds.
Local people are excited as devotees and visitors descend for the mega event in droves is creating a burst of economic activity
and opportunities for them.
Annu Manjhi, one of the 100-odd boatmen at the bank of Sarayu River, points out that city tourism has surged, which is good for him.
“I am earning more than four times what I used to around New Year in the past. People from all over India are already visiting Ayodhya for ‘darshan’ and once the ceremony is over, more tourists will visit the Ram Temple, hence more money for me,” he says with a broad smile.
Ayodhya has been given a facelift and its infrastructure improved to make the city ready to become the Hindu pilgrims’ mecca.
Also see our story on the Ram temple after consecration:
