Ayodhya Ram Mandir: A Look At Pran Pratishtha And Related Events

Rituals of the pran pratishtha ceremony have begun and the idol of Ramlala has already been placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir amidst chants of Mantras.

Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

Source : Twitter/@ShriRamTeerth

The nation is eagerly awaiting the consecration of Ramlala which is scheduled to be held on January 22 in Ayodhya. Preparations of the lavish ceremony are underway and Ayodhya is all decked up to welcome the Lord. Murals and paintings adorn the walls of the city in addition to the installation of ornate Sun pillars with 'Jai Shree Ram'written on each- this indeed seems to take us back to the old tales of Ramayana when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after an exile spanning fourteen years. 

Rituals of the pran pratishtha ceremony have begun and the idol of Ramlala has already been placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir amidst chants of Mantras. Pictures of the idol of depicting the child-form of Lord Rama standing on a lotus is doing the rounds on the internet garnering love and respect from netizens. 

Talking about the pran pratishtha ceremony, over 8000 guests have been invited to witness the historic moment, including a number of celebrities, sportsperson, business tycoons, politicians and other notable people from the society. Here are the details of Pran Pratishtha ceremony and related events as stated by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra:

1. Event Date and Venue: The auspicious Prana Pratishtha yoga of Ramlala will be held on the approaching Paush Shukla Kurma Dwadashi, Vikram Samvat 2080, i.e., Monday, the 22nd of January 2024.

2. Scriptural Protocols and Pre-Ceremony Rituals: Following all the Shastriya protocols, Prana Pratistha will be held in the Abhijeet Muhurta in afternoon. The formal procedures of pre-Pran Pratistha sacraments ave begun from 16th January and willcontinue till 21st January 2024. The Dwadash Adhivas protocols will be as follows:

1. 16th January: Prayaschita and Karmakuti Poojan
2. 17th January: Parisar Pravesh of the Murti
3. 18th January (Evening): Teerth Poojan, Jal Yatra, and Gandhadhivas
4. 19th January (Morning): Aushadhadhivas, Kesaradhivas, Ghritadhivas
5. 19th January (Evening): Dhanyadhivas
6. 20th January (Morning): Sharkaradhivas, Phaladhivas
7. 20th January (Evening): Pushpadhivas
8. 21st January (Morning): Madhyadhivas
9. 21st January (Evening): Shaiyadhivas

3. Adhivas Protocols and Acharyas: Generally, there are Seven Adhivasas in Prana Pratistha ceremony, and a minimum of three Adhivasas are in practice. There will be 121 Acharyas conducting the rituals. Shri Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid Ji will be overseeing, coordinating, anchoring, and directing all the proceedings of the Anushthan, and the principal Acharya will be Shri Luckshmikant Dixit of Kashi.

4. Distinguished Guests: The Pran Pratishtha will be conducted in the august presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bharat Shri Narendra Modi Ji, Pujaniya Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Shri Mohan Bhagwat Ji, Governor of Uttar Pradesh Smt Anandiben Patel Ji, Hon’ble Chief Minister of U.P. Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji Maharaj, and other dignitaries.

5. Diverse Representation: 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.

6. Historic Tribal Representation: 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 the recent history of Bharat which will be unique in itself.

7. Inclusive Traditions: 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.

8. Darshan and Celebration: After the completion of the Pran Pratishtha programme in the Garbhagriha, all the witnesses will have darshan respectively. The enthusiasm for the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lalla is being felt everywhere. It has been resolved to celebrate the occasion with great enthusiasm all over India, including Ayodhya. During the run-up to the ceremony, people from different states are continuously coming with water, soil, gold, silver, gems, clothes, jewellery, huge bells, drums, aroma/fragrance items, etc. The most notable among them were the Bhaars (gifts sent at the time of setting up a daughter's house) sent from Maa Janaki's maternal homes at Janakpur (Nepal) and Sitamarhi (Bihar), which a large number of people carried to Ayodhya. In addition to that, gifts comprising different types of jewellery, etc., were offered by the Nanihal at Raipur, Dandakaranya area.