Janaki Temple in Nepal's Janakpur illuminated ahead of consecration ceremony in Ayodhya

Ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Janaki Temple in Nepal’s Janakpur has been adorned with colourful lights as people are eagerly preparing to celebrate the Pran Pratistha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for today. Janakpur, known as the supposed home of Goddess Sita and her father King Janak, is actively getting ready for the festivities on Monday. The city is abuzz with excitement as it organises Deepawali, enveloping the surroundings with ornamental lights and a festive display. “Raja Ramchandra after the Vanvas (exile) in Tretayuga, the pain he had to endure; it continued in Kaliyuga as well, he had to struggle for five hundred years in Ayodhya- the birth land of Lord Ram, he had to shelter under the tarpaulin, his pain indeed was the pain of all the Hindus. Our ancestors had fought and struggled hard and the end result is here with the construction of temple of Maryadapurush Lord Ram whose Pran Pratistha is scheduled for 22 January. On this occasion, I congratulate all the Indian nationals and Janakpur also is in state of joyousness,” Pramod Kumar Chaudhary, former chairman of the Shree Ram Youth Committee, told ANI news agency. The holy city of Ayodhya has been decked up with lights. Janaki Sena (Army), a youth group led a campaign to collect donations in the form of oil, cotton lamps, clay pots as they aim to light two hundred and fifty thousand oil-fed lamps. “Residents of Janakpur and Mithila are extending their support providing oil, lamps, clay items along with other items of necessity which we would require to make our campaign successful. Despite the nightfall, people still have been signing themselves up for the donation of oil which ranges from one liter to the highest as per their capacity,” said Asutosh Jha, one of the members of organising committee. According to the Ram Janmabhoomi temple trust, Varanasi priest Lakshmi Kant Dixit will officiate the main rituals during the Pran Pratistha of Ram Lalla. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the event, thousands of politicians, saints, and celebrities, have been invited to the ceremony. The idol of Lord Ram has been placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ayodhya. The idol of ‘Ram Lalla’ is carved by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. The idol is 51 inches tall and weighs 1.5 tonnes. The idol portrays Lord Ram as a five-year-old child standing on a lotus also crafted from the same stone. From Nepal’s Janakpur, the Chief Mahanth along with the Chotte Mahanth have been invited for the ceremony and have already set off for Ayodhya. Earlier, Janakpur sent offerings locally called Bhaar to Ayodhya as a part of the ritual, which included ornaments, cuisines, clothes and other daily essentials. Janakpur, maternal home of Goddess Sita is also set to hold a slew of events on the day of Pran Pratistha. As it plans to hold Deepawali on Monday evening, artists will make “Rangoli” using colours as well as flowers. The collection drive to light up about 2,50,000 oil-fed lamps is underway with over 2500 litres of mustard oil already collected for Deepawali on Monday evening. Pran Pratishtha will be conducted in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Mohan Bhagwat, Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries. Acharyas of all schools of Bharatiya spiritualism, religion, sect, system of worship, tradition, Sants 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 remain present to witness the Prana Pratistha ceremony on the premises of the Bhavya Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. The presence of the tribal traditions being represented by the people of the hills, forests, coastal belts, islands, etc., is happening for the first time in recent history. The traditions include Shaiva, Vaishnav, Shaakta, Ganapatya, Patya, Sikh, Bauddha, Jain, Dashnam, Shankar, Ramanand, Ramanuj, Nimbarka, Madhva, Vishnu Nami, Ramsanehi, Ghisapanth, Garibdasi, Gaudiya, Kabirpanthi, Valmiki, Shankardev (Assam), Madhav Dev, ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Gayatri Parivar, Anukul Chandra, Thakur Parampara, Mahima Samaj of Odisha, Akali, Nirankari, Namdhari from Punjab, Radhasoami, and Swaminarayan, Varkari, Veer Shaiva, etc. After the completion of the Pran Pratishtha programme in the Garbha-Griha, all the witnesses will have darshan respectively. The magnificent Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir is constructed in traditional Nagara style. Its length (east-west) is 380 feet; width 250 feet and height is 161 feet; and is supported by a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors. The pillars and walls of the temple showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities, gods, and goddesses. In the main sanctum sanctorum at ground floor, the childhood form of Bhagwan Shri Ram (the idol of Shri Ramlalla) has been placed. The main entrance to the Mandir is situated on the eastern side, which can be approached by ascending 32 stairs through the Singh Dwar. There are a total of five Mandaps (Halls) in the Mandir - Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap, Sabha Mandap, Prathana Mandap and Kirtan Mandap. Near the Mandir is a historic Well (Sita koop), dating back to the ancient era. In the southwestern part of the Mandir complex, at Kuber Tila, the ancient Mandir of Bhagwan Shiv has been restored, along with the installation of a statue of Jatayu. With inputs from agencies