Ayodhya: PM Modi Likely To Carry Ram Lalla Idol From Makeshift Site To New Temple

During the upcoming consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 22 January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may break with tradition by walking more than 500 metres on foot.

He is expected to play a key role in carrying the existing movable idol of Lord Ram (chal murti) from the temporary temple to the newly constructed temple's inner sanctum (garbhagriha), as reported by The Times Of India.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will likely accompany him, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat will also be in attendance.

The main puja, led by Prime Minister Modi as the host, will occur between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm, marking the beginning of the religious ceremonies.

Skilled priests from various parts of the country will participate. The consecration ceremony will involve placing the 'chal murti' at a sacred spot after prayers, and one of the three five-foot idols being carved, will become the main deity (achal murti) in the inner sanctum.

The 'chal murti' will return on special occasions throughout the year.

The Temple Trust had three sculptors create different idols of Ram Lalla. The choice of which idol to place in the inner sanctum has yet to be determined.

The consecration ceremony, set to begin after Makar Sankranti, will feature a ceremonial bath for the new idol using water from holy rivers, followed by several religious ceremonies leading up to the final prayers and Vedic rituals on 22 January.

The Trust will send about 8,000 invitations across the country, with a majority going to religious figures and the rest to political leaders, industrialists, professionals, and Padma awardees.

Heads of states and countries will also be invited, as well as family members of those who lost their lives during the Ram Temple movement.