RSS chief Bhagwat arrives in Lucknow to attend Lord Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India]: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat reached Lucknow on Sunday to attend Lord Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony tomorrow in Ayodhya. 

The ‘Pran Pratistha’ of Ram Lalla is scheduled on Paush Shukla Kurma Dwadashi, Vikram Samvat 2080, which falls on Monday, January 22. 

The ceremonial journey leading up to the Pran Pratishtha included a seven-day ritual that commenced on January 16, 2024, Tuesday, following the classical traditions. 

Meanwhile, Karsewakpuram, an area in Ayodhya where ‘Karsevaks’ had come and stayed in 1990, has now been fully decorated with flowers of various hues ahead of the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Temple tomorrow. 

In 1990, when the then Mulayam Singh government passed orders to open fire at the Karsevaks, they came and stayed at Karsewakpuram during their struggle for the Ram Temple. The place is around two kilometres from the Ram Janmabhoomi site. 

There used to be ground here in the past that was later gradually developed. The decoration at the same place today tells a lot about how times changed. 

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, General Secretary Champat Rai’s residence, has also been decorated with twinkling lights. 
Moreover, with only a few hours separating Ayodhya from Lord Ram’s long-awaited return to his birthplace, a heavy security cordon has been thrown around the city, the state police informed on Sunday. 

Even as the city exuded a festive ambience ahead of the big day, Rapid Action Force (RPF) personnel were deployed at Lata Mangeshkar Chowk ahead of the January 22 ceremony. 
The police were conducting patrols by boat on the Sarayu River at frequent intervals, officers said. 

Anti-bomb squad and dog squad teams were also deployed at Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki International Airport as devotees and dignitaries started pouring into the temple town. 

Vehicles reaching and leaving the airport were being thoroughly checked and no one was being allowed to enter the airport without a pass, the officials said.

According to officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has set up a camp near the shrine in Ayodhya to respond to contingencies, if any. 

“Three NDRF teams have been deployed here ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony on January 22. The deployment has been done in coordination with the local administration and police,” Manoj Kumar Sharma, NDRF Deputy Inspector General of police, said. 

Praveen Kumar, IG, Ayodhya, said that necessary preparations in coordination with the agencies concerned have already been made to ensure watertight security in the city. 

“The visitors have already started arriving for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’. We are ensuring close surveillance through drone cameras and human intelligence. All security loopholes are being identified and addressed with priority. We are confident that the mega event on January 22 will pass off without a hitch,” the Ayodhya IG said. 

The ceremonial journey leading up to the Pran Pratishtha commenced on January 16, 2024, Tuesday. 

Earlier, on Thursday, January 19, the idol of Shri Ram Lalla, carved by renowned Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. 

Covered with a veil, the first photo of the idol was revealed during the placement ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday. 

The grand occasion will witness the participation of dignitaries and people from all walks of life. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22.

Laxmikant Dixit, a priest from Varanasi, will lead the team of priests performing the main rituals of the Pran Pratishta.