Fortunate to be invited to Ram Mandir consecration ceremony: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he is "fortunate" to be invited to take part in the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. "After a few days... Lord Ram will give us darshan in his grand temple and I am fortunate that I have been invited for 'pran prathishtha' ceremony of Ram temple...," he said. To recall, PM Modi, last week, started an 11-day fast to prepare himself for the consecration ceremony.
Why does this story matter?
Modi will take center stage during the large-scale unveiling of the Ram Mandir on January 22. The temple complex will be opened to the public later. Meanwhile, the invitations for the inauguration ceremony have triggered a political controversy after many politicians claimed they were purposely left out. Preparations are underway and security has been strengthened in Ayodhya as well as the rest of India in view of the mega event.
Watch: PM's address ahead of consecration ceremony
Beneficiaries receive first instalment under PM-JANMAN scheme
The prime minister made the comments while addressing the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) over a video conference. He also released the first installment of Rs. 540 crore to one lakh beneficiaries of a rural housing scheme. The PM-JANMAN initiative seeks to provide financial assistance and support to rural communities in India.
PM's statement on "anushthan"
Addressing the nation last week, the prime minister said that he would begin the ritual of following Yama-Niyam for 11 days before consecration. "I would follow all the rules and penances on and before the day of pran pratistha with the same strictness as instructed in the scriptures from today," he said. In the scriptures, Dev Pratishtha has been described as the ritual of infusing divine consciousness into an earthly idol.
Political row over Ram Mandir's consecration ceremony
Meanwhile, the consecration ceremony has triggered a political row after the opposition called it an out-and-out political event by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Last week, top Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi rejected the invitation to the consecration event. However, Congress's Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai and other party leaders visited Ayodhya on Monday pay their obeisance and take a holy dip in the Saryu River.
Visuals of Rai, other Congress leaders at Hanuman Garhi temple
Security beefed up in Ayodhya ahead of consecration ceremony
With the consecration ceremony just days away, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) took over the security of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) has been incorporated with 1,500 public CCTV cameras across the city to ensure surveillance. Police will also conduct citywide patrols and strict verification of external individuals.
