Ayodhya Ram temple to be open for public from January 23, says Trust

Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, said that the Pran Pratishtra will start at 12:20 pm and conclude at 1 pm on January 22

After the consecration or 'Pran Pratishtha' of the idol of Lord Shri Ram, the temple will be open to the public from January 23, said Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday.

Rai said the Pran Pratishtra will start at 12:20 pm and conclude at 1 pm on January 22. 

"The religious rituals will begin from January 16, and go on till January 21. On January 22, the Pran Pratishtha ceremony will take place. The idol for which 'Pran Pratishtha' will be done is expected to be around 150-200kgs. On January 18, the idol will be placed at its position in the 'Garbh Griha' of the temple," he said.

Rai also confirmed that the idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj, has been selected for installation at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
 

Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony
 

The grand consecration ceremony of Ram temple will be held on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat will share the dais with several other dignitaries.

Thousands of seers from across the country have also been invited for the ceremony and the invitees also include families of the labourers who erected the Ram Temple. Over 7,000 people are on the invitee list of the temple trust, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, including Bollywood celebrities, cricketers and industrialists.

In an audio message posted on his official YouTube channel, PM Modi said he was fortunate to be a witness to what he described as a "historic" and "auspicious" occasion.

Around 100 heads from 55 countries, including ambassadors and MPs, have been invited to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, said Swami Vigyananand, founder and global chairman of the World Hindu Foundation.

The countries that have been invited include Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Botswana, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Dominica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, Uganda, UK, USA, Vietnam, and Zambia.