PM Modi will be present at the opening ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on the 22nd of January

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his intention to be present at the opening ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. Officials from the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra, together with religious leaders, extended an invitation to the PM. Narendra Modi had previously laid the foundation stone of the Ram temple on August 5, 2020.

Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Ram Temple Trust, confirmed that the installation of the idol of Lord Ram would take place on January 22, and Prime Minister Modi has accepted the invitation. The trust plans to invite more than 4,000 Hindu religious leaders representing 136 Sanatana traditions for the consecration ceremony. Additionally, 25,000 dignitaries are expected to participate in the event.

The temple complex, spreading across 71 acres of land, will include various structures such as the Ram Mandir covering 2.77 acres, which will be divided into six parts, namely the main sanctum sanctorum (garbh greh), along with five pavilions: gun mandap, rang mandap, nritya mandap, kirtan mandap, and prarthna mandap. The temple will stand at a height of 161 feet with three floors, each measuring 19.5 feet.

Adjacent to the Ram temple, other structures will include temples dedicated to Shiva, goddess Annapurna and Bhagwati, Ganesha, Hanuman, and Surya (sun). Temples dedicated to mythological saints like Valmiki, Vashisth, Viswamitra, Jatayu, and Sabri are also planned, in addition to facilities such as a yagya/anusthan mandap, a rest house for religious leaders, and an administrative building. The project aims to achieve a zero-discharge facility, with plans for two sewerage treatment plants to recycle water for flushing and irrigation, thereby reducing the burden on the Municipal Corporation.

Moreover, the temple construction committee has acquired 71 acres of land for the development of public utilities surrounding the temple. To prevent overcrowding in Ayodhya, the temple trust has appealed to the public to avoid visiting the temple during the initial days of the inauguration. They have also requested that VIPs refrain from visiting Ayodhya on the day of the inauguration to prevent any mismanagement. In his Dasara speech on Tuesday, Chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Mohan Bhagwat urged the people of India to organize celebratory programs at temples near their homes in honor of the inauguration of the Ram temple.