Uddhav Thackeray invites President Murmu to Shree KalaRam temple in Nashik on January 22

In a significant move, Shiv Sena (UBT) head  and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday invited President Dropadi Murmu for the 22 January, 2024 event at the Shree KalaRam Mandir in Nashik - on the day the pran-pratishtha ceremony of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Around a week ago, Thackeray, who had not been invited by the Shree Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra for the 22 January ceremony in Ayodhya, had said that he'll perform 'Maha Aarti' on the banks of Godavari and visit the KalaRam temple.

The announcement of Thackeray comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Shree KalaRam Mandir and offered prayers to Lord Ram and conducted jal-poojan of the Godavari river in the Ramkund-Panchavati area of Nashik.

“We invite President Draupadi Murmu for the 22 January puja at KalaRam Mandir,” Thackeray told reporters at Matoshree, his bungalow in Mumbai.

“Our leaders and MPs would go to New Delhi and personally extend an invitation to the President,” he said, adding that at the installation ceremony of the Somnath Mandir, the then President Rajendra Prasad was invited for the ceremony.