The newly sculpted idol of Ram Lalla by Mysuru-based artist Arun Yogiraj has been chosen for installation at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, according to Champat Rai, the General Secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The current idol of Ram Lalla, worshipped for the past 70 years, will also be retained in the sanctum sanctorum of the new temple.
The installation ceremony, known as "Pran Pratishtha," is scheduled for January 22 at 12:20 p.m. The new stone idol, weighing between 150-200 kg, portrays the deity as a five-year-old boy in a standing posture. On January 18, the idol will be placed in its designated 'aasan' in the sanctum sanctorum.
The selection of the idol carved by Arun Yogiraj has received praise from members of the trust. Yogiraj has previously sculpted statues of Adiguru Shankaracharya at Kedarnath and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, installed at the India Gate canopy.
Rituals leading up to the "Pran Pratishtha" will commence on Tuesday and continue until January 21. On January 22, the minimum essential rituals for the ceremony will be conducted, including the 'adhivas' ritual where the 'jal niwas,' 'fal niwas,' 'anna niwas,' 'aushadi niwas,' and 'ghee niwas' for the idol will be performed.
The ceremony will be attended by all the trustees of the temple trust, seers from about 150 sects, and more than 500 individuals associated with the construction of the temple, referred to as the "Engineer Group." Consideration is being given to closing the temple for devotees on January 20 and 21, with visits resuming from January 23.
(With Agency Inputs)
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