Ram Mandir LIVE: Delhi govt schools to be closed in first half of Jan 22

Ayodhya Ram Mandir News Live Updates: Catch all the latest updates on the consecration ceremony here

8:22 PM

Ram temple news: Delhi govt-run morning, general shift schools to remain closed on Monday

7:39 PM

Ram Mandir live update: Politics, religion should be kept separate, says Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav

7:05 PM

Ram Mandir news: ISRO releases satellite image of Ayodhya Ram Temple

The Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO has provided a glimpse of the newly built Ram Temple in Ayodhya from space. Taken from the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite hovering over space, the image shared by ISRO on Sunday shows the grand new temple which will be inaugurated on January 22. The image, which was taken on December 16, last year, also shows Dasharath Mahal, the Ayodhya Railway Station and the pious Sarayu river.

5:42 PM

Ram temple consecration: Goa casinos to remain shut for 8 hours on Jan 22 in view of Pran Pratishtha ceremony

The operations of all casinos in Goa will remain shut for eight hours from 8 am on Monday as a mark of respect for the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, an official from a casino management company said on Sunday.

There are six off shore casinos and several on shore casinos operating in Goa. The off shore casino vessels are anchored in the Mandovi river near state capital Panaji.

It has been decided that all the casinos will close their operations from 8 am to 4 pm on Monday, Shrinivas Nayak, director of the Majestic Pride group which operates some of these casinos, told PTI.

5:13 PM

Ram Mandir Live: I would give credit to PM Modi for construction of temple, says Cong leader Acharya Pramod

5:05 PM

Ram Mandir news: Ex-India cricketer Anil Kumble arrives in Lucknow ahead of Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya

4:59 PM

Ram temple news: From 13,000 forces to AI-enabled cameras, Ayodhya under heavy surveillance ahead of ceremony

Over 13 thousand security personnel have been deployed in and around Ayodhya to ensure safe and smooth conduct of the grand 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony at Ram Temple, Uttar Pradesh Police department authorities said on Sunday.

According to authorities, they are also using anti-drone technology as well as artificial intelligence (AI) technology as part of their additional measures to add an extra layer of security.

Speaking to ANI, Special DG Prashant Kumar said, "This is a significant undertaking for the UP Police. It poses both a challenge and an opportunity. Extensive security arrangements have been put in place, including traffic diversions from surrounding districts. Only authorized vehicles are permitted to enter Ayodhya starting tomorrow."

4:41 PM

Ram temple Pran Pratishtha news: Rajnikanth arrives at Lucknow airport to attend ceremony in Ayodhya tomorrow

4:25 PM

Ram temple news: All govt schools in Jharkhand to remain closed on Jan 22 in view of Pran Pratishtha ceremony

2:42 PM

Ram temple consecration: Himachal CM announces public holiday on Jan 22

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday announced a public holiday on January 22 in view of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

 

The chief minister also appealed to the people of Himachal Pradesh to light earthen lamps at home on the occasion.

 

"Lord Ram does not belong to a particular political party, but he is everyone's ideal and culture of the country," he said, apparently referring to the BJP.

 

"I will light a lamp in my house and encourage others to do the same. I will definitely visit the temple in Ayodhya in the near future," Sukhu said.

 

He further said that a statue of Lord Ram will be built in Jakhu.

 

The 'Pran Pratishtha' at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place on January 22 and will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

2:41 PM

Stringent security measures in place in Ayodhya ahead of Ram temple consecration ceremony

A multi-layer security cover is in place in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, with 10,000 CCTVs keeping an eye on the movement of people and police personnel in plain clothes deployed at the venue.

 

From Dharampath and Rampath here, which are witnessing a huge influx of devotees, to bylanes of the Hanumangarhi area and Asharfi Bhavan road, policemen can be seen patrolling the streets.

 

Cops of the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) had also conducted patrolling in Ayodhya on Saturday.

 

Movable barriers with barbed wires attached to it can be spotted virtually at every prominent crossing in the city, as policemen use them to regulate traffic especially during VVIP movements.

 

"The 'pran pratishtha' ceremony, which will be held on January 22, is going to be a historic event. For this, the Uttar Pradesh Police has made elaborate security arrangements and along with it, security has been ensured for every road along the entire red zone, yellow zone and Ayodhya district," Director General (DG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar had recently said.

2:37 PM

Sonu Nigam, Malini Awasthi join hands for Ricky Kej's devotional song 'Ram Ke Hriday Mein'

Popular singers Sonu Nigam and Malini Awasthi have teamed up for "Ram Ke Hriday Mein", a devotional song composed by Grammy winner Ricky Kej.

 

Billed as a "tribute to Lord Ram's return to Ayodhya", the song was released on YouTube days before the consecration ceremony to be held at the Ram temple on Monday.

 

The 3.54-minute track is the title song of author Amish Tripathi's upcoming documentary "Ram Janmabhoomi: Return of a Splendid Sun".

 

Kej shared the link of "Ram Ke Hriday Mein" on his official Instagram account on Saturday.

2:36 PM

Delhi AAP to take out 'shobha yatra', organise 'bhandara' on Monday

The Aam Aadmi Party will take out a "shobha yatra" in Delhi on Monday and organise community kitchens across the city, party sources said here.

 

The programme coincides with the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

 

"The party will take out a shobha yatra on Monday that will see the participation of senior AAP leaders. The party will also organise 'bhandaras' across the national capital on Monday," a source said.

 

The AAP dispensation is also organising a three-day Ramlila event at Pearey Lal Bhawan that commenced on Saturday.

2:36 PM

Old idol of Ram Lalla to be placed in front of new idol, says Ram temple trust's treasure

The old idol of Ram Lalla, kept in a makeshift shrine, will be placed in front of the new idol which will be consecrated at the temple here on January 22, said Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

 

He also said that more than Rs 1,100 crore has so far been spent in constructing the Ram Temple and another Rs 300 crore might be needed to complete the work.

 

A 51-inch Ram Lalla idol was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple last week. Three idols of Lord Ram were built from which the one sculpted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj has been selected for "Pran Prathistha".

2:17 PM

Ayodhya skyline imbued with saffron as flags dot buildings

A day ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, the streets and the skyline of Ayodhya have turned saffron with flags flying atop buildings, small and big, across the temple town.

 

On the tastefully decorated Ram Path and Dharm Path here, devotees can be seen walking or going on horseback waving saffron flags. Sale of such flags bearing images of Lord Ram, the new temple and Lord Hanuman have also increased manifold lately.

 

Nearly all buildings and shops along Ram Path, near the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, are decked up with flags of different sizes.

 

Even houses, dharamshalas, mutts, shops and hotels along the inner streets of the city bear large saffron flags on their rooftops.

 

The skyline of the temple town is now dominated by these flags, especially the ones bearing the image of Lord Ram and the Ayodhya temple.

2:01 PM

Lord Ram is our pride and culture: 'Ramayan' actor Arun Govil

Lord Ram is an integral part of India's culture and its identity, says "Ramayan" star Arun Govil, who is looking forward to attending the historic consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday.

 

The actor, who became a household name after essaying the role of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's "Ramayan", has been invited for the grand event along with his co-star Dipika Chikhlia, who portrayed Goddess Sita in the 1987 TV serial.

 

"Lord Ram is our pride, culture, country's identity, and self-respect. The courage of Lord Ram, the seriousness, the thought process, the respect given to elders, and all these elements that are in our culture... Everything is Ram," Govil told PTI in an interview.

 

The 66-year-old actor said he was not the first choice to play Lord Ram in the classic show.

1:39 PM

On-ground campaigns to screening, corporate houses join Ram Temple consecration fervour

Many companies are joining the bandwagon of Ram Temple consecration, from declaring a contribution in lighting at the complex to planning to screen the event live on multiplexes.

 

Some companies are donating a portion of their profit from sales in the region during the inauguration period to distribute special foods across the city of Ayodhya.

 

Several companies operating in consumer space have activated on-ground marketing campaigns by putting up large numbers of hoardings, gate branding, shopboards, and kiosks offering products to devotees, arriving in the holy city for the Ayodhya Ram Temple.

 

The Pran Pratistha' ceremony commenced on 16 January and will continue till 22 January.

 

Leading multiplex operator PVR INOX has announced live screening of Ram Mandir inauguration during the consecration ceremony on its 160 cinema screens across 70-plus cities on January 22, 2024.

1:38 PM

Isro releases satellite image of Ayodhya Ram Temple

The Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre of Isro has provided a glimpse of the newly built Ram Temple in Ayodhya from space.

 

Taken from the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite hovering over space, the image shared by Isro on Sunday shows the grand new temple which will be inaugurated on January 22.

 

The image, which was taken on December 16, last year, also shows Dasharath Mahal, the Ayodhya Railway Station and the pious Sarayu river.

 

The consecration will take place on Monday amid the Vedic hymns in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among others.

1:38 PM

Flower saplings from Maharashtra, Ramayana-era trees adorn Ram temple premises

Nearly 7,500 saplings of flowers brought from Maharashtra have been planted in the premises of the Ram temple here, offering a visual treat to devotees visiting the shrine.

 

The saplings comprising many foreign and indigenous varieties of flowers have been planted by the forest department, officials said.

 

Besides the flower saplings, 56 species of ornamental plants, including Aglaonema Red-Lipstick, Alocasia Black Velvet-Cucullata, Philodendron Ring of Fire-Birkin, Xanadu, Red Congo, Pink Fire, Pink Princess, Dieffenbachia White, Homalomena Bronze, Caladium Mix, Malpighia Shriram, Dracana Mahatma, Cephalandra plant, have been planted in the temple premises.

 

A Nakshatra Vatika comprising 27 trees, which are associated with 27 constellations, is also a part of the premises.

 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently planted saplings in the Nakshatra Vatika.

 

Among the trees of the Ramayana era planted in the Vatika are Peepal, Pakad, Neem, Gutel, Mahua, Shisham, Khair, Palash, Bel, Maulishree, Shami, Kadamba, Mango, Arjun, Gular, Sal, Banyan, Amla, Pine. They are also related to the constellations.

 

Special attention is being given to ensure a distinct appearance to the Nakshatra Vatika within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sitanshu Pandey said.

 

Iron tree guards have also been installed to protect the plants, he added.

12:58 PM

Grand musical rendition with 50 instruments planned for Ram Mandir event

Fifty traditional musical instruments from across the country will be part of a devotional "Mangal Dhwani" that will resonate for two hours ahead of Monday's consecration ceremony at the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.

 

Orchestrated by Ayodhya's celebrated poet Yatindra Mishra, the grand musical rendition has been supported by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.

 

According to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust in charge of construction and management of the temple, the musical programme will begin at 10 am. The consecration ceremony will begin at 12.20 pm.

 

The instruments include pakhawaj, flute and dholak from Uttar Pradesh; veena from Karnataka; algoja from Punjab; sundari from Maharashtra; mardala from Odisha; santoor from Madhya Pradesh; pung from Manipur; nagada and kali from Assam; and tambura from Chhattisgarh.

 

There will also shehnai from Delhi, ravanahatha from Rajasthan, shrikhol and sarod from West Bengal, ghatam from Andhra Pradesh, sitar from Jharkhand, santar from Gujarat, pakhawaj from Bihar, hudka from Uttarakhand and nagaswaram, tavil and mridangam from Tamil Nadu.

12:55 PM

Passengers chant Ram bhajan onboard the flight from Delhi to Ayodhya

12:54 PM

BRS MLC K. Kavitha on Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

On Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, BRS MLC K. Kavitha says, "We have not been invited. But Shri Ram is everybody's god. We are practicing Hindus so we will certainly visit Ayodhya one day."

12:40 PM

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat reaches Lucknow to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony tomorrow in Ayodhya.

12:29 PM

Actors Rajinikanth and Dhanush leave for Ayodhya to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony tomorrow.

12:26 PM

Ram Mandir Inauguration Live Updates: Ram Temple billboard allures thousands of motorists in Houston

In the midst of global celebrations leading up to the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a grand billboard capturing the essence of Shri Ram has graced Houston, captivating thousands of daily commuters on the bustling highway since Monday. Standing at an impressive height of three hundred feet, the billboard not only imparts information about the temple's inauguration but also brings warmth and a delightful surprise to Houstonians amidst the current freezing temperatures.

12:25 PM

New Zealand Minister congratulates PM Modi and India for Ram Mandir Inauguration

On Pran Pratishtha ceremony, New Zealand Minister for Ethnic Communities, Melissa Lee said "I wish the Indian diaspora around the world for the celebration of the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Congratulations to PM Modi and the people of Bharat on the inauguration of Ram Mandir after 500 years. Ram Mandir is the result of PM Modi's work and his championing of resurrecting this Mandir...He has been elected so many times as the Prime Minister. It shows his desire to take India forward and grow the economy. PM Modi is respected around the world and he does very good for the people of India..."

12:24 PM

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar leaves for Ayodhya to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony tomorrow

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar leaves for Ayodhya to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony tomorrow. He said "I am visiting Ayodhya. We are really excited to have a darshan of Ram Lalla. We have been waiting for this day for several years..."

12:24 PM

Ram Mandir Inauguration Live Updates: Ram Mandir decked up with flowers, special lights

On Havells illuminating the premises of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, company President Parag Bhatnagar said, "... Depending on the illumination needs of different parts of the temple, lights have been customized... Spot light made of 24 karat gold has been designed which will focus on the idol. Linear lights have been installed for walls, and inground lights placed on the floor have been pointed upwards to highlight the carvings... Gold is very significant in our culture. Keeping in mind this cultural value, spot lights focused on Shri Ram idol have been made of gold... Keeping in mind the intricate carvings on the ceiling, the lights have been powder coated to blend them with the surface, creating a world class lighting effect... 8-10 gold lights have been installed, but overall we have installed more than 3000 lights and also 3000 metres of profile lights."

12:23 PM

Devotees from Nepal reach Ayodhya ahead of Ram temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony

As the Ram temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony draws near, devotees from Nepal reached Ayodhya from Nepal to witness the historic occasion.On being able to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22, the devotees from Nepal, who arrived in Ayodhya on January 19, said that they are very happy to be here.While speaking to ANI, one of the devotees said, "We are from Nepal. We are six people, and we came here the day before yesterday. We feel so good to be here. It was 30 years ago when I came here; it was very complicated back then. But now that the temple is constructed, we are very happy.""We are all bestowed with the blessings of Lord Ram. We are extremely happy," he added.

11:53 AM

'Rammay' Ayodhya set for consecration ceremony, temple town decked up

The much-awaited Ram temple consecration will be held here on Monday in a grand ceremony with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the rituals, following which the shrine will be opened for the public a day later.

 

The "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony will begin at 12.20 pm and is expected to end by 1 pm. The prime minister will then address a gathering of more than 7,000 people, including seers and prominent personalities, at the venue.

 

Lakhs of people are expected to watch the event live on TV and online platforms as BJP-ruled states and Odisha have declared a holiday while the central government has announced a half-day off.

 

As authorities made final preparations in a decked-up Ayodhya, considered the birthplace of Lord Ram, temples across the country and abroad have announced special festivities to mark the occasion.

 

From Washington DC to Paris to Sydney, events have been planned in various parts of the world on January 22. These programmes are either being organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) or Hindu diaspora groups in 60 countries.

 

Fourteen couples from various parts of India will be the "yajmaans" (hosts) for the "Pran Pratishtha".

 

The rituals ahead of the consecration ceremony began on January 16, and according to temple trust general secretary Champat Rai, these will end on January 21.

 

The new 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla, sculpted by Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj, was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple on Thursday afternoon. The first image of the new idol with eyes covered with a cloth was released on Friday.