Ceremony to mark 2nd Pran Pratishtha on Ram Temple premises to begin today: Trust

The celebrations will culminate on June 5, coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Ganga Dussehra.

In January last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the Pran Pratistha (consecration ceremony) of Lord Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum of the RamTemple in Ayodhya.

On Monday evening, the auspicious ceremony began with a Kalash (holy pot) procession starting from the banks of the Saryu River. Around 200 local women went to the riverbank and collected holy water in kalash (sacred pots) and brought it to the temple, which is around 2.5 km away. This procession passed through Veena Chowk, Ram Path, Singarhat and Rangmahal Barrier before reaching the Ram Temple complex.

The pots containing water will be kept at a designated place inside the temple. The water would be used from Tuesday for several purposes during rituals inside the temple during the three-day function.

Ram Temple Trust member Dr Anil Mishra told The Indian Express that the kalash yatra was completed on Monday.

According to officials, on June 3 and 4, worship will be performed, during which 1,975 mantras will be chanted and offerings will be made to the Fire God (Agni Devta) each day for 12 hours from 6:30 am. Along with this, devotional recitations, including the Ram Raksha Stotra, Hanuman Chalisa and other bhajans, will also be organised.

On the final day, the rituals would start from 6:30 am and will continue till 1 pm. After the Pran Pratishtha, arti bhog would start at all the eight places but would not be open for the public for sometime as of now, said another Trust official.

The main ceremony will take place on June 5, during which the Pran Pratishtha will be conducted for the Ram Darbar idols (Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman), as well as the consecration of idols in seven other temples.

A government official said CM Adityanath is scheduled to attend four key programmes during the event. Apart from the main Pran Pratishtha, he will also take part in the Maa Saryu Trayodashi Janmotsav, the birth anniversary celebrations of Trust President Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and a plantation drive in Pushp Vatika to mark World Environment Day.

Sadhus and others who could not attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony held on January 22, 2024, have been invited, the official added.

Well-known scholar and priest from Chandauli, Jayprakash Tiwari, along with 101 Vedic acharyas, will perform the Pran Pratishtha of the deities in all eight temples simultaneously, said Dr Anil Mishra who would be the main ‘yajman’ on the consecration day.

Meanwhile, to ensure the convenience of the devotees, Ayodhya District Magistrate (DM) Nikhil Tikaram Funde said extensive arrangements have been made, including shaded rest areas, drinking water stations and mobile toilets. Special measures have also been taken in light of the prevailing heat, with 10 hospital beds reserved in each district hospital for emergencies. ORS packets are being distributed at the temple premises, outposts and police stations, said the official.

Resting areas and other amenities have also been made available within the temple premises for pilgrims.

Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover said that multiple joint inspections have been conducted along with the DM. Security has been intensified with the deployment of ATS and STF teams to ensure a smooth and secure event. Security for both VVIPs and devotees remains our top priority, the official added.

The official said that like last year’s celebration, a similarly large turnout is anticipated for this event as well.