As Consecration Rituals Begin, 108-foot-long Incense Stick Lit At Ayodhya Temple

The nation is looking forward to the historic Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, which is scheduled to take place on January 22. The rituals for the ceremony began on January 16, which also saw Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das lit a 108-foot-long incense stick amid a huge crowd chanting Jai Shri Ram. The incense stick was manufactured in Gujarat and was imported from there to the sacred city of Ayodhya, ahead of the ceremony. As per the reports, the incense stick has been manufactured in such a way as to ensure that its fragrance reaches a distance of 50 km. Weighing 3,610 kg and measuring around three-and-a-half feet in width, the incense stick used in the rituals performed on the first day. It has been prepared using cow dung, ghee, essence, flower extracts, and herbs which, once lit, will last for about a month and a half.

The preparations for the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya commenced yesterday, which also saw 121 Brahmins performing prayaschit puja. In addition to that, the idol of Ram Lalla will be brought inside the temple today, January 17 and it will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum on January 18. The general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai, informed that the temple will be opened for darshan to the general public from January 23 onwards.

Acharya Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, during a media interaction, noted, “After 1:20 pm, there will be Jalayatra, Teertha Puja, Brahmin-Batuk-Kumari-Suvasini Puja, Vardhini Puja, Kalshayatra and tour of the idol of Lord Shri Ramlala in the Prasad premises.”

The pran pratishtha ceremony, on January 22, will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries. Thousands of VIP guests have also been invited from the trust for the ceremony. The trust has left no stone unturned in making elaborate arrangements to welcome and honour all attendees. They have been presented with gifts including Ram Raj. Teerth Kshetra Trust will also be distributing special Motichoor laddus made from desi ghee as Prasad to the guests.