Cultural Festivities in Ayodhya to Commemorate the First Anniversary of Ram Temple's 'Pran Pratishtha'

Ayodhya, Jan 11 (NationPress) A multitude of cultural and religious events are set to take place in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, organized by the Ram Temple Trust to honor the first anniversary of the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol at the temple.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya is preparing to celebrate one year since its operations began.

As this significant milestone approaches, full preparations are underway for the first anniversary of the Temple's Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

The festivities are scheduled from January 11 to 13, aiming to engage the public, including those who couldn't attend last year's historic ceremony, alongside approximately 110 invited VIPs, as stated by the temple trust.

The events will unfold across various locations within the Ram Janmabhoomi premises. This three-day celebration will showcase performances from esteemed artists such as 'Folk Queen of India' Malini Awasthi, playback singer and politician Anuradha Paudwal, and poet Kumar Vishwas, among others.

Ram Katha and Ram Leela performances, along with numerous religious rituals, are scheduled throughout the three-day celebration, according to the temple trust.

On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address devotees at Kuber Tila, followed by a series of musical and devotional performances.

Musical ensembles from various states will also perform kirtans at several intersections in Ayodhya from January 11 to 13.

Seers from across India, who missed the previous consecration ceremony, have been invited to take part in the anniversary celebrations.

A list of about 70 such saints is currently being compiled by the Ram Temple Trust.

Kumar Vishwas and Malini Awasthi will perform at Angad Teela within the temple grounds on Saturday, while Anuradha Paudwal and Kavita Paudwal will take the stage on Sunday.

Ram Katha will be narrated by Jagadguru Ramanujacharya and Swami Gyananand over the three days.

Additionally, Sapna Goyal from Lucknow, along with 250 women, will recite the Sundarkand during the event.

Champat Rai, the General Secretary of the Temple Trust, mentioned that seers from Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and over 100 local seers from Ayodhya will participate in the anniversary celebrations.

In a statement, Rai confirmed that no special passes will be issued for darshan during the three-day event, allowing devotees to join the celebrations freely.

On January 22, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.

According to the Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, more than two lakh devotees visited the temple on January 1, the first day of the year, to offer their prayers.

Acharya Satyendra Das, the Chief priest of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, discussed the ongoing preparations, noting that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is anticipated to attend the anniversary program and oversee various events.

The Chief Minister is also expected to inaugurate the program, according to the priest.

"This annual festival is being celebrated similarly to how Diwali was observed, as the Chief Minister himself remarked about Diwali," he added.

In December, Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra stated that the construction of the Ram Mandir complex is progressing swiftly and is "hopefully" expected to be finished within the first six months of 2025.

Misra further indicated that construction efforts have accelerated since January is a significant month, marking the first anniversary of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, and with the Mahakumbh celebrations in Prayagraj, it is expected to draw large crowds to Ayodhya.

"We were informed that the construction work is ongoing at a rapid pace. Construction is in full swing. January is crucial as it marks the first anniversary of Pran Pratishtha and also because the MahaKumbh is set to begin, which will attract large crowds," Misra stated.