Ram Darbar at Ayodhya temple to be open for devotees from June 6: Nripendra Mishra

Lucknow: The Ram temple at Ayodhya will see the installation of a 'Ram Darbar' next month which will be open for devotees from June 6 but it won't be a consecration ceremony, says temple construction committee chief Nripendra Mishra.

The event will also mark the completion of the construction of the temple which started in 2020. The Ram Lalla consecration in 2024 was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Pran Pratistha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla has already been held at the ground floor of the temple in 2024. Now is the turn of Raja Ram (Ram as a King) to be placed at the Ram Darbar on the first floor. So it is expected that (the idols of) Lord Ram along with that his brothers and goddess Sita will arrive in Ayodhya and be installed on the temple’s first floor on May 23,” Mishra told PTI over phone.

“When Lord Ram’s idols are placed in his Darbar, it is obvious that the same would happen after a religious ceremony. There would be puja but it won’t be right to refer to it as a consecration, as the same consecration (or pran pratistha) has already happened in 2024. Yes, different kinds of pujas would be held before the Ram Darbar is open for devotees. These puja, would conclude on June 5,” he said.

The dates May 23 and June 5 have their own auspicious planetary alignments so it has been decided to have the installation done on May 23 and subsequently have the Ram Darbar open on June 6 after puja on June 5.

The almost 5-ft Ram statue carved in white marble in Jaipur is part of the Ram Darbar, which will also feature idols of Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughn, and Hanuman.

Asked if it would be another big ceremony akin to the pran partistha event on January 22, 2024, at Ayodhya that was presided over by Prime Minister Modi, Mishra said, “These aspects would be decided upon by the Ram Temple Trust.” However, he added, “It will (the inauguration of Ram Darbar) not be at the same level, as that of the earlier event (January 22, 2024, one). This one would be a close religious affair.” Asked if the entire temple would be ready by June 5 and open for devotees from June 6, Mishra said, “Yes, it would be, as the second floor too would be ready on the same day.” While the construction of the main temple will be over, the building of the compound wall will take some more months.

“However, by June 6, seven other temples outside of the Ram temple, like the Maharishi Valmiki Temple, would be complete,” he added.