London [UK]: Prayers and celebrations were organised at the Brahmrishi Mission Ashram in London, United Kingdom, ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Satyam Surana, an Indian student studying at the London School of Economics, said that the whole world has dived into the colour of Lord Ram and there is great enthusiasm among the Indian diaspora.
“Not just India, but the whole world has got ‘Rammay’. Lord Ram belongs to the whole world. Celebrations for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony have been planned at 250 places and the Indian diaspora is celebrating the occasion with high fanfare and enthusiasm. Here at Brahmrishi Ashram, people from all parts of India have come to celebrate,” he said.
Sadhvi Suryaprabha Devi, one of the head priests of the temple, elaborated on the events for the ceremony and said that the whole United Kingdom is decorated like Ayodhya.
“United Kingdom is looking like Ayodhya ahead of Pran Pratishtha. Since January 14, every day some or the other programme is taking place. The main events are planned for January 20-22. We are also distributing ‘akshat’ (blessed rice). I don’t think we have been this excited for any other ceremony,” she said.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is also witnessing vibrant celebrations as Hindu temples gear up for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.
Slough Hindu Temple, located thousands of miles away from Ayodhya in the heart of England, is brimming with enthusiasm as it is set to celebrate the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The ‘Mangal Kalash’ from Ayodhya that is touring the UK will reach the Slough Hindu Temple on Sunday, January 21, a day before the big day and shall be placed in this temple on January 22.
The excitement around the ceremony is palpable in the UK. There are about 250 Hindu temples in the UK and all of them are gearing up for the celebration on January 22.
From community events to car rallies, and from special ‘aarti’ to ‘Akhanda Ramayan’ recitation, the Hindu communities and temples in the UK are celebrating the occasion as “2nd Diwali” to mark the ‘return’ of Lord Rama to his rightful abode.
The Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom also organised a car rally in London. The rally was attended by the Hindu diaspora, who turned out in huge numbers and over 325 cars participated in the car rally.
During the rally, the participants chanted slogans of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ and played songs in praise of Lord Rama.Later in the evening, the India-UK Diaspora also organised a Maha-Aarti to mark the occasion.
Scores of volunteers from the Indian Diaspora in the UK (IDUK) organisation are working day in and day out to decorate the temple for the big day when the temple is deemed to receive around 4000-4500 visitors to celebrate the day.
Meanwhile, a UK declaration, signed by over 200 temples, community organisations, and associations nationwide on Thursday, will be presented to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
The powerful statement from Dharmic communities in the UK highlights shared joy and solidarity with the 1.5 billion global celebrants, warmly embracing the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya.
A special ‘puja’ and bhajan will also be organised on January 22.
Notably, the process of Pran Pratishtha at Ram Mandir in Ayoshya has already started from January 16. While the ‘Prayaschit’ and Karmakuti puja were performed on January 16, the idol entered the premises on January 17.
On January 18, Ram Lalla’s idol was installed in the sanctum sectorum of the grand new temple. Aushadhivas, Kesaradhivas, Ghritadhivas were organized on January 19, Dhanyadhivas on January 19, Sugardhivas, Fruitdhivas, Pushpadhivas on January 20 and Madhyadhivas and Shayadhivas on January 21.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals marking the ‘Pran Pratishtha’. A team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will lead the main rituals.
Along with PM Modi, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries will be present on the occasion.
Special guests from cricket world, film world, saint society, politics, art, literature and culture and other fields have also been invited for the ceremony.
