Ayodhya: Week-long consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla to kick off from January 16

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 28 : The consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmobhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya will be held over a span of seven days starting from January 16, temple officials said.
On January 16, the host appointed by the temple trust, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra will conduct the atonement ceremony. The 'Dashvidh' bath, Vishnu worship and offering of cow will be held on the banks of Saryu river.
Following that, on January 17, a procession carrying the idol of Ram Lalla will reach Ayodhya. Devotees carrying Saryu water in Mangal Kalash will be reaching the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.
On January 18, formal rituals will kick off with the Ganesh Ambika puja, Varun puja, Matrika puja, Brahmin Varan and Vastu Puja.
On January 19, the holy fire will be lit, followed by the establishment of 'Navagraha' and a 'havan' (holy ritual surrounding the fire).
The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple will be washed with Saryu water on January 20, after which the Vaastu Shanti and 'Annadhivas' rituals will take place.
On January 21, the Ram Lalla idol will be bathed in 125 urns and will finally be laid to rest. On the final day, January 22, after the morning puja, the deity of Ram Lala will be consecrated in 'Mrigashira Nakshatra' in the afternoon.
Speaking about the Ram Temple Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that the long wait of 450 years has come to an end and that much dreamt-of Ram Temple has come to completion.
"The long wait of 450 years has come to an end and the grand Ram Temple that many generations of Indians had imagined or dreamed of has come to a completion," Thakur said.
Thakur said that people from every corner of the country who want to visit the grand Ram temple will start coming after the consecration day. He added that devotees should come only after receiving proper information.
"Those who have received the invitation on January 22 must go for darshan and after that, as soon as the temple opens to the public, people must come for darshan. There should not be much crowd on the first day because there will be an event there. No one should be inconvenienced. People should go to Ayodhya for darshan of Lord Shri Ram only after getting information," he said.
Speaking about the projects undertaken by the Narendra Modi government in the field of religious tourism, the Union Minister said, "In the last 10 years, Modi government has opened the Kartarpur Corridor, built the ropeway to Hemkund Sahib and constructed the Buddhist Circuit. After the divine and grand Somnath Dham, Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Kedarnath Dham and Mahakal Lok, now the divine and grand Ayodhya Dham has been constructed."
"When crores of people come here to have darshan of Lord Ram, then the construction of Ayodhya Dham, which is going on, will help. The railway junction there is named after Lord Ram. A new airport has been completed so that people can commute conveniently," he added.