Uttarakhand’s Badrinath Dham is abuzz with spiritual energy as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) extends invitations to revered sadhus for the upcoming ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Temple, scheduled for January 22. In a gesture of reverence, VHP workers braved the cold to personally hand over invites to sadhus engaged in meditation at Badrinath Dham.
The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony is expected to be a grand affair, with invitations extending beyond spiritual leaders to include prominent figures from various fields. Celebrities such as Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, Jackie Shroff, Hariharan, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Randeep Hooda are among those who have received the prestigious invitation.
Notably, on Tuesday, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, were among the distinguished personalities to receive the invite. Other sports icons, including former captain MS Dhoni and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, have also been extended invitations to the ceremony.
Vedic rituals for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla commenced on January 16, setting the stage for a spiritually significant event in Ayodhya. General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai, announced that the Ram temple would open for public ‘darshan’ from January 23.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated an 11-day special ritual leading up to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ramlala at the Ayodhya temple, emphasizing the cultural and spiritual significance of the upcoming ceremony. As per tradition, gifts in 1,000 baskets have been received from Nepal’s Janakpur and areas of Mithila, adding to the ceremonial grandeur.
The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony, expected to conclude by 1 p.m., will witness expressions of thoughts from PM Modi and other dignitaries present on the occasion. However, on January 20 and 21, ‘darshan’ will remain closed to the public as preparations reach a crescendo for this momentous event in Ayodhya’s history.