Ayodhya — The first anniversary of Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha (the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram’s idol) will be celebrated from January 11 to 13, with a series of events to honor and dedicate reverence to Ram Lalla. The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, will perform the Abhishek (ritual bath) of Lord Ram’s idol on January 11 at 11 AM in Ayodhya. The CM is expected to stay in the city for seven hours on this significant day.
This year’s annual event marks the completion of one year since the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla, to be celebrated as Pratishtha Dwadasi. The three-day festivities will feature various religious and cultural programs, including devotional performances and discussions, with thousands of devotees and dignitaries in attendance. Over 170 saints and religious leaders from across the country are expected to participate in the grand ceremony. Additionally, 37 prominent saints from the local temples of Ayodhya have also been invited to join the occasion.
Speaking to the press at Angad Tila complex on Sunday, Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, shared details about the three-day event. He mentioned that saints and religious leaders from states such as Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have been invited. The celebration will feature cultural performances by renowned artists, including Usha Mangeshkar, Kumar Vishwas, Malini Awasthi, Anuradha Paudwal, Kavita Paudwal, Swati Mishra, and Kathak dancer Shobhana Narayan. Renowned storyteller Ramesh Bhai Ojha will also be present to narrate the Ram Katha.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of Ram Mandir’s Pran Pratishtha, a special Ram Katha session was launched in Ghatouli Village, at the location of Kotahini Bhavani. As part of this, a grand Kalash Yatra (pot procession) was taken out on Sunday, led by the storyteller Kamlesh Mishra, to spread awareness and devotion about the Ram Mandir. The procession, accompanied by drums and musical fanfare, traveled for three kilometers and reached Aasthik Ashram at Janmejay Kund Sidsid, where the Kalash was filled with holy water. The procession then returned to the Katha Pandal (storytelling pavilion).
The Ram Katha event is scheduled to continue from January 5 to 11, with prominent political and community leaders, including MLA Ramchandra Yadav, Adarsh Chandra Yadav, Ramsharan Verma, Parmanand Yadav, Block Chief Representative Pawan Singh, Bhavani Fehr Mishra, Vanshidhar Dwivedi, Kashi Nath Mishra, Brijesh Pathak, Barasati Rahi, and Rakesh Yadav, among others, attending and contributing to the ceremony.
