India: PM Modi to attend installation of Lord Ram's idol at Ayodhya temple in historic ceremony on Jan 22

The Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the installation of Lord Ram's idol, asking him to place the idol of Lord Ram in the 'Garbhagriha' of the Ram Mandir in the Ayodhya temple on January 22, 2024. Champat Rai, the Trust's general secretary, confirmed this development. Prime Minister Modi also shared the news on his social media account, expressing his profound gratitude for being a part of this historic event.

"Today along with members of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, we met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have invited him (PM Modi) to come on January 22 to install the idol of Lord Ram in the Garbhagriha. He has accepted our request. He will be present on January 22. The date for'Pran Pratishtha'on January 22 is confirmed," Champat Rai said.

“Hail Siya Ram! Today is a day full of emotions. Just now the officials of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come to meet me at my residence. They haveinvited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of consecration of Shri Ram temple. I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Legal battle

The construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya started after a prolonged legal battle that culminated with the Supreme Court's ruling in 2019, clearing the path for the temple's construction. Theconstruction of Ram Temple at the birthplace of Lord Ramin Ayodhya was a significant electoral pledge of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)led by Narendra Modi. Following the Supreme Court's verdict, the government established the 'Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra' Trust, charged with making all decisions related to the temple's construction.

Additionally,Muslims have voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the mosque's construction progress and called for a change in the trustees of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation. Despite plans to install Lord Ram's idol in the temple in January, the foundation stone for the mosque has not been laid yet.

Notably, the ground-level construction of the three-story Ram temple is now concluded, and the temple trust has set January 14, Makar Sankranti, for the commencement of Ram Lalla's consecration.

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Prime Minister Modi laid the temple's foundation stone on August 5, and construction work is progressing swiftly. The idol of Ram Lalla is scheduled to be enshrined in the temple's inner sanctum on January 22, 2024.