Prominent figures within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi will not be present at the grand consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 24, according to the temple trust’s announcement on Monday.
Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, informed reporters that due to their advanced age and health considerations, both Advani, aged 96 and Joshi, who will turn 90 next month, were respectfully requested not to attend the consecration ceremony.
Advani and Joshi played instrumental roles in the Ram Temple movement, leading to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on the decades-old title dispute case in favor of the Hindu community on November 9, 2019. The court granted the disputed land for the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple to a trust and ordered the allocation of five acres of land to the Muslim side for the construction of a mosque.
“Both are elders in the (Sangh) family and considering their age, they have been requested not to come (to Ayodhya for the consecration event). Both have accepted our request,” stated Rai.
All preparations for the consecration ceremony, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are scheduled to be completed by January 15. The consecration rituals, known as Puja for Pran Pratishtha, will commence on January 16 and conclude on January 22, 2024.
The temple trust anticipates Prime Minister Modi’s attendance at the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22. The event is expected to draw dignitaries and people from various backgrounds.
Residents in the temple city are pleased about potential new sources of income from donations received from tourists in exchange for the hospitality extended to them during the preparations.
Rai revealed that 13 Akharas, including 150 sages and saints from different traditions, along with Shankaracharyas from six philosophical traditions, will participate in the ceremony. Approximately four thousand saints have been invited, and additional invitations have been extended to 2,200 other guests.
He also mentioned that heads of major temples, spiritual leaders, actors, filmmakers, and industrialists, including Dalai Lama, Amitabh Bachchan, and Mukesh Ambani, will be present at the consecration ceremony.
Following the ceremony, Mandal Puja will be conducted for 48 days from January 24, in adherence to North Indian tradition. From January 23, the general public will have the opportunity to witness the deity Lord Ram. Adequate arrangements have been made for guest accommodations, with over 600 rooms provided by monasteries, temples, households, and regular Bhandaras at three major locations from December 25.
