Celebrities, leaders start arriving in Ayodhya

Ayodhya: Celebrities from the Bollywood and other personalities, who have been invited to attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony on Monday, have started descending on Ayodhya.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who would also be inside the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple with prime minister Narendra Modi and some others, reached Lucknow on Sunday. He was likely to reach Ayodhya later in the evening.

Megastar Rajanikanth, film actress Kangana Ranaut have also reached here to attend the ceremony. Besides,Telugu film actor turned politician Pawan Kalyan also arrived in the town on Sunday. Music director Anu Malik, former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble and singer Shankar Mahedvean also reached Lucknow on Sunday from where they were likely to drive to Ayodhya.

Kangana also took part in the cleaning of the Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya and met a few leading seers in the town. ''It is a historic moment,'' she said.

Mahadevan said that not only the country but the world was also eagerly awaiting the consecration of Ram Lala.

Well known chef Sanjeev Kapur, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar, Yoga guru Swami Ramdev, Hindi poet Kumar Vishwash were also among those arriving in the temple town to attend the consecration ceremony. ''It is pious for any one to be in Ayodhya...It is like attaining salvation,'' Vishwash said.

''I consider myself lucky to have received the invitation to attend the ceremony,'' Kapur said in Ayodhya.

Many more leading personalities from the industry and other walks of life were expected to reach Ayodhya later in the evening and on Monday morning. Megastar Amitabh Bachhan was also likely to arrive here by a chartered plane on Monday.