"January 22 next year is as important as August 15...": Ram temple trust chief

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 22 : Ahead of the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, General Secretary of Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust Champat Rai on Friday compared January 22 next year to that of India's independence -- August 15, the day it was liberated from the foreign yoke.
"January 22, 2024, is as important as August 15, 1947; it is equally important as getting Kargil back, and as much as the detention of one lakh soldiers was important in 1971," Rai told ANI.
He further said that there is a feeling of satisfaction among the people of Ayodhya over the construction of the temple which has become an 'instrument to unite India'.
"There is a feeling of satisfaction. The people of Ayodhya, small princely states of the neighbourhood, priests, teachers and all the saints from all over India after 1983, started getting associated with it. The subject which was limited only to Ayodhya, became the subject of the respect of the entire country," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22. Preparations are underway in full swing for the event, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life.
Apart from political and religious leaders, Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, have been invited to the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22, next year.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, holds great spiritual, historical and cultural significance for the people of India.
The trust has also invited 4,000 saints of all sects for the ceremony.
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, next year, a week before the main ceremony.
A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahautsav.
A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand consecration of the Ram Temple.
According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people.
Local authorities are gearing up for the anticipated surge in visitors around the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth and spiritually enriching experience for all attendees.