Ram Temple Inauguration: Senior IPS Officer Pledges To Serve Pilgrims At Ayodhya Post Retirement

Raja Babu Singh, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, is slated to retire in July 2027.

New Delhi: Ahead of the Ram temple's consecration ceremony on January 22, a senior IPS officer pledged on Tuesday to serve the pilgrims visiting Ayodhya. He said that he will spend a "considerable" time in the holy town after his retirement from service.

Raja Babu Singh, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, is currently serving as the inspector general (training) with the Border Security Force (BSF) at its headquarters, reported news agency PTI.

"I have decided to spend a considerable time in Ayodhya post my retirement from service and will serve the visiting pilgrims, pray and meditate and have daily darshan of Lord Ram," Singh said.

As per the PTI report, The officer is slated to retire in July 2027.

Singh further stated that the construction of the temple was his long-desired wish and he had offered a brick for its construction after the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992.

"I was a student at the Allahabad University and was preparing for the civil services when I, along with a friend, offered the brick as we undertook a religious trip to Ayodhya," he added.

Previously, the officer held the position of BSF IG in Kashmir, overseeing the force's operations along the Line of Control under the Army's operational command. He has also served in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and occupied various positions within his cadre state, the PTI report added. 

Rituals Begin At Ram Temple

The run-up to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya began today with a series of rituals, led by a member of the temple trust and his wife.

These rituals will reach their finale with the consecration, or 'pran pratishtha, of the idol of Ram Lalla at the new temple in Ayodhya.

"The 'anushthan' has started and will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. Eleven priests are performing the rituals invoking all goddesses and gods," Ram temple chief priest Satyendra Das said, reported PTI.

Over the next week, rituals like 'teerth poojan', 'jal yatra' and 'gandhadhivas' will take place. On Monday, the 'prayaschita' and 'karmakuti poojan' took place.

The Ram temple 'pran pratishtha' will begin at 12.20 pm on January 22 and is expected to end by 1 pm, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai told reporters on Monday, the PTI report added.