Ayodhya Ram Temple: 21,000 priests to perform grand Yajna to establish 1,008 Shivlings

As the Indian temple city of Ayodhya prepares itself for the grand consecration ceremony of Ram Temple, reports show that a ‘Maha Yagya’ or grand yajna will be held in the holy city from January 14 to January 25. Some 21,000 priests from Nepal will be conducting the yajna to establish 1,008 Narmadeshwar Shivlings.

The yajna will be held on the banks of the holy Saryu River under the watch of Atmanand Das Mahatyagi alias Nepali Baba. Nepali Baba hails from Ayodhya but is now settled in the neighbouring country.

"I do this yagya every year on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, but this year, we have scaled it up in view of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony," he was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

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To accommodate the priests and devotees, a tent city has been established on 100 acres nearly 2 km away from the Ram Temple. Nepali Baba said arrangements are being made to accommodate at least 50,000 devotees per day and a feast will be organised for about 100,000 devotees per day.

Details about the grand Yajna

During the grand Yajna, the ‘havan’ will take place from January 17 with the chants of 24,000 verses of Ramayan. The havan will continue till January 25.

The 1,008 Shivlings will be anointed with panchamrit every day, with 1,100 couples performing havan while reciting Ram mantras in 100 ponds built at Yagyashala.

The Times of India quoted Baba as saying that for the carving of Shivlings, stones have been brought from the Narmada river of Madhya Pradesh.

“The carving work will be completed before January 14,” he added."I was born in phatik shi- la area of the temple town and I am a disciple of Tapasvi Narayan Das,” Atmanand Das Mahatyagi says, claiming that the Nepal King had named him 'Nepali Baba'.

(With inputs from agencies)