Around 7,500 flower saplings brought from Maharashtra adorned the Ram Mandir's premises to accentuate the beauty of the temple and offer a visual treat to the devotees who will be visiting the newly inaugurated shrine after January 22. These saplings are a mix of various foreign and indigenous varieties of flowers and were planted by the forest department, as per a report by news agency PTI.
Apart from the flower saplings, 56 species of ornamental plants have also been planted on Ram Mandir's premises. These include Aglaonema Red-Lipstick, Philodendron Ring of Fire-Birkin, Dieffenbachia White, Pink Fire, Alocasia Black Velvet-Cucullata, Xanadu Red Congo, Homalomena Bronze, Dracana Mahatma, Pink Princess, Cephalandra plant, and Malpighia Shriram, reported PTI.
A Nakshatra Vatika consisting of 27 trees, related to 27 constellations, will also add to the beauty of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi premises. Recently, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath planted saplings in the Nakshatra Vatika. The Nakshatra Vatika has trees such as Neem, Khair, Bel, Pakad, Peepal, Palash, Gutel, Mahua, Shisham, Kadamba, Gular, Banyan, Amla, Maulishree, Shami, Mango Arjun, and Pine, that belong to the Ramayan-era.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sitanshu Pandey said that special attention was being given to ensure that the Nakshatra Vatika has a distinct appearance within the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. He also said that iron tree guards have been installed for the protection of the plants, reported PTI.
According to PTI, the temple has been decorated with special lights and rich stocks of flowers. The streetlights on flyovers have been decorated with depictions of Lord Ram, cutouts of bow and arrow, and traditional Ramanandi tilak-themed lamp posts. The banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya have also been lit up for the big day.
The grand Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony will be held in Ayodhya on January 22 at 12:20 p.m. and is expected to end by 1:00 p.m. PM Modi and other eminent personalities from all walks of life will grace the event.