Religious rituals got under way in Ayodhya on Monday, two days ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for a Ram temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the temple in the August 5 ceremony.
Twenty one priests on Monday conducted prayers dedicated to Lord Ganesh. This was to be followed by prayers to the deities of the dynasties of Lord Ram and goddess Sita. On Tuesday, prayers will be offered at Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi temple.
venty five people have been invited for the event, out of which 135 are saints of that many traditions.
On the dais, there will be just five people – Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, trust chief Nritya Gopaldas Maharaj, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Adityanath called the event “historic”. He spent hours reviewing the arrangements for the ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace), where the temple will be constructed following the go-ahead last year by the Supreme Court.
“It is not only a historic but also an emotional moment as after 500 years the Ram temple work will start. It will be the foundation of a new India,” he said.
The chief minister also urged people to light earthen lamps, decorate temples and recite the Ramayana in memory of those “who laid down their lives in the temple struggle”.
Festivities have started in Ayodhya ahead of the event. A bridge over Saryu river has been illuminated and priests performed ‘aarti’ at the ghat of Saryu river.
Temples across the city have been decorated with lights and diyas ahead of the grand event.
Last November, the apex court paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the site and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot for building a new mosque in Ayodhya.
