LUCKNOW: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday said that the idol of Lord Ram would be consecrated in the ‘sanctum sanctorum’ of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Confirming the date of consecration, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai said that PM Narendra Modi had accepted the invitation to be a part of the ceremony.
The members of the temple trust along with treasurer Govind Giriji Maharaj and chairman, Temple Construction Committee, Nripendra Mishra, had met PM Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.
"Today we, the members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Keshtra Trust, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We invited him (PM Modi) to come to Ayodhya to install the idol of Lord Ram in the Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum) on January 22, 2024. He has accepted our request. He will be present during the ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. The date for 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) on January 22 is confirmed," Champat Rai said.
He added that for the consecration ceremony, which would take place at 12:30 pm on January 22, 4000 saints and seers from across the country and around 2500 dignitaries would be present.
After meeting the temple trust members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his happiness through a post on social media site X.
The PM said he felt blessed and it was his good fortune that he would be a witness to such a historic occasion.
"Jai Siya Ram! Today is a day full of emotions. Recently, the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come to meet me at my residence. They invited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of consecration of Shri Ram temple. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion," wrote PM Modi on X.
Earlier, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had hinted at January 22 as the date for the consecration ceremony during his Vijayadashmi address on Tuesday.
The RSS chief had said that the idol of Lord Ram would be installed at the Ayodhya temple on January 22. He had asked people to organise programmes at temples across the country to celebrate the occasion.
It may be recalled that the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram temple was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020 following the Supreme Court's verdict on November 9, 2019 to settle the vexed Ayodhya issue and paving way for the construction of a grand Ram temple.
Following the apex court verdict, the Centre set up the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust to oversee the temple construction on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises and take all decisions regarding it.
The preparations for the consecration ceremony are on at a war footing in the temple town with the first floor of the upcoming temple comprising the sanctum sanctorum nearing completion.
As per temple trust sources, around five lakh devotees are expected from across the globe to witness the consecration ceremony. The celebrations would start from January 15 and continue till January 25.
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