The first image of the idol of Lord Ram, covered with a veil and positioned within the inner sanctum of the temple, has been revealed. The 51-inch idol, sculpted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi temple on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the January 22 consecration ceremony.
The idol, carved out of a stone, shows Lord Ram as a five-year-old child positioned on a lotus. The idol was brought to the temple on Wednesday night after a 'Kalash Pujan' ceremony held earlier in the day.
The first image of the idol, covered with a veil, of Lord Ram in Ayodhya Ram Temple| X
The placement of the idol was done amid the chanting of prayers, according to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Arun Dixit, a priest associated with the consecration ceremony, told PTI that the 'pradhan sankalp' was performed by Anil Mishra, a member of the trust. "The idea behind the 'pradhan sankalp' is that the 'pratishtha' of Lord Ram is being done for the welfare of all, for the welfare of the nation, for the welfare of humanity, and also for those who contributed to this work (related to the temple). Apart from this, other rituals were also performed. 'Vastras' were also given to Brahmins and work has been assigned to everyone," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the January 22 'pran pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram temple, which is expected to be opened to the public the next day. Temple trust general secretary Champat Rai told reporters here on Monday that the consecration ceremony will begin at 12:20 pm and is expected to be completed by 1 pm on January 22.
Half-day holiday
Several state governments declared a half-day holiday in the state on January 22 in view of the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Besides Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan have declared a half-day holiday.
While Chhattisgarh has announced an official holiday for all educational institutions across the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has also officially announced a public holiday. The Haryana government has also decided to temporarily close schools.
Meanwhile, public sector banks, insurance companies, financial institutions and regional rural banks (RRBs) across the country will remain closed for half a day on January 22.
