Ram Mandir inauguration: No alcohol on Jan 22 in UP, schools and colleges to be shut, says UP CM Yogi

In the wake of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, which is set to take place on January 22 in India's temple city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, the state's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered all the liquor shops to remain closed and all educational institutions to be shut.

Earlier, the chief minister had stated that the entire 84-Kosi Parikrama, which is an area around the temple premises, will be declared as a “no liquor zone”.

Meat shops closed in Lucknow

Meanwhile, All India Jamiatul Quresh – a Muslim organisation – announced that all the meat shops will remain shut in Lucknow on January 22, when the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple will take place. The businesses of all the meat traders, who are functioning in the Bilochpura, Sadar Cantt, Fatehganj and Latouche Road areas, will be closed.

“We all are Awadh residents. Keeping in mind the goodwill on the 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya, it has been decided unanimously that on January 22, 2024, all the meat traders of Bilochpura, Sadar Cantt, Fatehganj, and Latouche Road areas will keep their businesses closed," said Shahabuddin Qureshi, national secretary of All India Jamiatul Quresh.

The governments of Chhattisgarh and Assam have also decided to mark January 22 as a dry day. Lord Ram's sacred seating in the temple is scheduled to be held between 12:15 pm to 12:45 pm on January 22, 2024, which will coincide with the Mrigasira Nakshatra.

According to Indian news agency ANI, India's ruling Bharatiya Janta Party announced that it has planned to live telecast the temple's consecration ceremony at booth levels across the entire nation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also set to address the country on the occasion.

Watch:Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Preparation in full swing for Ram Temple inauguration

From January 16, the Vedic rituals for Lord Ram's pran-pratishtha (consecration) ceremony in Ayodhya will start and different rituals will be conducted throughout the week.

As per the official sources, invitation cards for the Ram temple's consecration ceremony in Ayodhya are being "hand-delivered to all the guests” by the temple trust's representatives as well as a large number of volunteers.

Also, different representatives of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and their allies are also assisting in hand-delivering the invitations. The invitation cards for the consecration ceremony have already been sent to some of the guests.

(With inputs from agencies)