Celebrations of Ram Lalla idol consecration begin in Ayodhya

Scheduled from January 11 to 13, the first anniversary celebrations will see common people, who were unable to attend the historic ceremony last year, alongside around 110 VIPs

Ayodhya (UP): The first anniversary celebrations of the Ram Lalla idol consecration ceremony in Ayodhya started on Saturday with a large number of devotees reaching the holy city to take part in events.

Religious and cultural programmes will commence in the Ram Temple complex starting Saturday. The anniversary celebrations began with the recitation of Yajurveda. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will perform the ‘abhishek’ of Ram Lalla. The grand aarti will take place around 12.20 pm, followed by an offering of 56 dishes to the deity.

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The court of Ram Lalla is decorated with flowers.

Anup Mishra, a local resident who has reached the temple to witness the anniversary celebrations, said, “We were not able to reach the Ram Janmabhoomi when the Pran Pratistha was done in January 2024, but this time we are fortunate enough to reach the court of Ram Lalla on the first anniversary.”

Another devotee, Sarla Maheshwari who has come from Bhopal, said, “We reached Ayodhya two days ago to take part in the anniversary celebrations, and felt excited that today we will see the deity.”

Scheduled from January 11 to 13, the celebrations aim to include common people, who were unable to attend the historic ceremony last year, alongside around 110 invited VIPs, according to the temple trust.

A German hangar tent has been installed at the Angad Teela site, capable of hosting up to 5,000 people. Common people will have the opportunity to witness the grand event, which included classical cultural performances, rituals, and daily Ram Katha discourses at the pavilion and Yagnashala.

“The trust has decided to invite common people who could not attend the initial consecration ceremony last year. They will be allowed to join all three days of events at Angad Teela,” Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had earlier said.

The trust also said that invitation letters have been distributed to guests, including the 110 VIPs, many of whom missed the original pran pratishtha ceremony on January 22, 2024.

“Those unable to attend last year will be included in this anniversary celebration,” Rai had said.

The pavilion and Yagnashala will serve as key venues for these festivities, providing a rare opportunity for the public to be part of the ongoing celebrations. The Trust has already extended invitations to saints and devotees from across the country.

An idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, 2024, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the grand mandir’s construction to build the foundation of a “strong, capable and divine” India of the next 1,000 years. PTI