Ahead of January 22 opening, Ram Lalla idol installed in Ayodhya temple

THE consecration ceremony at the newly built Ram temple in the northern Indian holy town of Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh saw a major prelude on Thursday (18) when an idol of Ran Lalla (infant Lord Ram) was installed in the temple's sanctum sanctorum amid joyous chants of "Jai Shri Ram!" (Hail Lord Ram)

A special puja was held before the 51-inch idol was brought inside the temple with the help of a crane on Wednesday (17).

The idol has been designed and developed by Arun Yogiraj, a sculptor from the southern state of Karnataka. He was among three sculptors who were shortlisted for making the idol in standing form. Visuals of the sanctum sanctorum were shared late on Wednesday.

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The idol of Ram Lalla being taken inside Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple complex in the northern Indian temple town of Ayodhya with a crane, ahead of its consecration ceremony on January 18, 2024. (PTI Photo)

The consecration ceremony will be held at 12.30 pm local time on Monday (22) in the presence of prime minister Narendra Modi and several thousand high-profile visitors besides common man.

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Modi, who has been travelling to various corners of India's southern parts in January, will visit some significant temples in Tamil Nadu on January 20 and 21, the prime minister's office (PMO) said on Thursday. Recently, he paid visits to a few temples in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, also south Indian states.

On January 20, he will take part in an event at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli in the southern state around 11 am. He will also listen to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayanam, the PMO said in a statement.

From there, the PM will reach Rameswaram around 2 pm and perform 'darshan' and 'pooja' in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple.

(With PTI inputs)