Ayodhya Ram Temple
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The construction of the iconic Ram temple in Ayodhya will be completed by June 5 and the consecration of 'Ram Darbar' will be performed in a ceremony beginning June 3, according to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra.
In an interview to PTI on Wednesday, Misra informed that the 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony, which is expected to be grand, will be held on June 5. However, the guest list is expected to be different this time, he added.
The consecration of Ram Lalla (child Ram) was held on January 22 last year in a ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The idols of Ram Darbar will be consecrated on June 5... the rituals will begin from June 3. Besides that seven other temples have been constructed in the complex and the religious ceremony for those temples will also be performed on the same day.
"The construction of the temple will be completed by June 5, except for murals depicting the story of Lord Ram which are to be pitched in the lower plinth of the temple," he said.
The seven temples include those of sages Vashistha, Valmiki, Agastya, Vishwamitra, Ahalya, Shabari and Nishadraj.
Asked about the new additions to the temple, Misra explained that there are three phases in which the temple has been constructed.
"The first phase was when the ground floor was to be completed and Ram Lalla was to be installed. So that was done in early 2024 and also the pran pratishtha was performed.
"After that, the remaining work -- completion of the second floor of the temple, that has now been more or less completed, and the Ram Darbar which includes Lord Ram, Sita, brothers of Lord Ram and Shri Hanuman will now go to the Garbhagrah that has been constructed on the first floor," he said.
The idols of Ram Darbar have been crafted by artisans in Jaipur using Makrana marble found in the mines of Rajasthan.
Asked whether the June 5 consecration ceremony will be as grand as it was last year, Misra said the temple trust is taking a call on the final modalities.
"... The consecration ceremonies are grand always. Because you are obviously invoking and the 'pratishtha' of the Lord is being performed.
"But maybe the guest list will be different. Maybe the priests who will come there to perform the puja may be different. So I won't say that it is a similar kind. But I would say it has the same objective and it will achieve the same thing," he said.
"They are selecting the list of the spiritual people who have attained a certain level and are recognised spiritual saints and sadhus. They will be invited to the ceremony," he added.
Misra said the guest list will not include VIPs from the states or the Centre.
"I think the trust considered that consecration of Lord Ram as a child has been performed and it was performed in the presence of the highest person in this country, the prime minister of India. So having done that, they were of the view that perhaps a second function of that nature need not be done," he said.
"The trust is taking a call on that. And perhaps they would also be inviting many spiritual gurus of different beliefs at the time of that ceremony. The trust has also decided that no VIPs either from the states or the Centre government will be invited to the ceremony," he said.
Misra denied that there were any political objectives behind the construction of the temple.
"I do not think that it is any political gimmick or there are any political objectives behind it. It has happened on the order of our Supreme Court and the moment has come after over 500 years of struggle," he said.
The new portions of the temple are expected to be opened to the public within a week of the June 5 ceremony, Misra informed.
"According to the information I have received, the trust has decided that within one week of the consecration, the devotees can visit the temple... Since the temple's first floor has limited space and the stairs can only hold a certain amount of weight, 750-1000 people will be allowed to visit the Ram Darbar in a day. For this, people can get a pass online," he said.