Ram temple to open for public from Jan 23, pre-consecration rituals to begin from Tuesday

Lucknow: The Ram temple will be open for the public from January 23, a day after the 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony even as the pre-consecration rituals would begin from Tuesday.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Khestra Trust secretary Champat Rai on Monday said that the pre-consecration rituals would continue till Sunday, a day before the ceremony. The rituals included several special 'pujas'.

According to the Trust officials some rituals started from the Makar Sankranti on Monday. As many as 11 'yajamana' (the person on whose behalf a religious ritual or yajna is performed by the priests) began an eight day observance of various rituals, which were in accordance with the Vedic traditions, in Ayodhya from Monday.

The officials said that these rituals included atonement, gaudan, special bathing and others. All of them would be reciting the name of Lord Rama for the next eight days. Their observance would end on January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony.

Rai said that prime minister Narendra Modi, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, UP governor Anandiben Patel, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and all the Trustees would be present inside the sanctum-sanctorum of the Temple.

Rai also said that the devotees could visit the Ram temple from January 23. ''The devotees can pay obeisance at the Ram temple from January 23,'' he added.

Tight security arrangements would be in place in Ayodhya and entry of outsiders into the temple town would be banned from January 20. Only people having proper permission would be allowed in.