Rituals begin as part of Ram Temple consecration event

The week-long consecration (pran pratishtha) ceremony of the infant god Ram, or Ram Lalla, began in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple on Tuesday, marking the start of an event that will culminate with the opening of the temple.

On Tuesday, 121 priests chanted Sanskrit hymns and performed Vedic rituals in the Abhijit Muhurta (atonement for one’s sins) in the afternoon.

Rituals began with Prayaschita Karmakutipujan at 1pm and will end on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the last ritual of the consecration ceremony.

“The anushthan has started and will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. Eleven priests are performing the rituals invoking all goddesses and gods,” Ram temple chief priest Satyendra Das said.

The ‘yajman’ at the rituals – including the ones conducted on the final consecration days – is Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Anil Mishra and his wife Usha Mishra. Typically, the ‘yajman’ is the main “host” of a “puja” –  the person on whose behalf the prayers are offered. Mishra has to attend the rituals on all days, including on January 22 when Modi will preside over the event.

Vedic scholar Lakshmikant Dixit of Varanasi, who is heading the seven-day rituals, reached Ayodhya from Varanasi on Tuesday evening. According to the Trust, which is overseeing the construction of the temple, there are seven Adhivasas in pran pratishtha ceremony, and a minimum of three Adhivasas are in practice. Adhivasa literally means ‘to live in’. ‘Adhivāsa’ is a rite that invokes the deity to “live in” the idol.

Around 121 priests are conducting the rituals, overseen by Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, a priest from Varanasi, who is also coordinating, anchoring, and directing all the proceedings. “Acharyas of all schools of Bharatiya spiritualism, religion, sect, system of worship, tradition, saints of more than 150 traditions, mahamandaleshwars, mandaleshwars, shrimahants, mahants, nagas, as well as leading figures of more than 50 adivasi, girivasi, tatavasi, dwipavasi tribal traditions, will be present at the prana pratishtha ceremony,” said the Trust.

The final leg of the consecration ceremony, to be presided over by Modi, will start at 12.20pm on January 22 and end by around 1pm.

The 51-inch stone idol of renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Karnataka will be enthroned at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Mandir.

On January 17, the idol’s “parisar pravesh” will be completed, followed by “teerth poojan”, “jal yatra” and “gandhadhivas” on January 18 and “aushadhadhivas”, “kesaradhivas”, “ghritadhivas” and “dhanyadhivas” on January 19, according to a schedule released by the Trust.