22-05-2025
Preparations for June 5 consecration of 18 idols at Ram Temple in final phase
The preparations for the pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of 18 idols in Ayodhya's Ram Temple on June 5 are in their final stages, functionaries of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said.
Of the 18 idols to be installed in 14 smaller temples located within the main temple complex, six Makrana-marble idols to be placed in Ram Darbar were arriving in the temple town late Thursday night.
The six idols of Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan and Hanuman would be installed in the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) of Ram Darbar on the temple's first floor on Friday in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The pre-consecration rituals will start on June 3.
'The construction of the main temple is complete. The consecration ceremony of 14 temples, including Ram Darbar, including six temples in the parkota (wall or boundary) and seven idols of sages and other figures from the Ramayana,will take place on June 5,' Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee, told The Indian Express.
'The puja ceremony will begin from June 3. This will mark the completion of the main Ram Temple with only only some mural work remaining in the parkota,' he added.
Sources said out of the six idols to be installed at Ram Darbar, those of Ram and Sita are 6 feet in height and seated on a throne, whereas those of Lakshman and Hanuman would be seated near their feet. The idols of Ram's remaining two brothers — Bharat and Shatrughan — will be in a standing posture behind the idols of Ram and Sita.
'The six idols of Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan and Hanuman, will reach Ayodhya tonight. My father is escorting the idols,' said Punit Pandey, son of Jaipur-based sculptor Satyanarayan Pandey who along with his team has sculpted not just the Ram Darbar idols but also those from 12 other temples in the complex.
Sources in the state government said CM Adityanath will arrive in Ayodhya on Friday to oversee the installation of the Ram Darbar idols and then will hold a review meeting for the preparations of the consecration ceremony.
The sages and other figures from the Ramayana whose idols are being installed are Valmiki, Augustmuni, Ahilya, Shabari, Nishad Raj, Vashishtha and Vishwamitra.
The six temples in the parkota which will also be consecrated are dedicated to Goddess Durga, Annapurna, Lord Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman and Surya.
The consecration rituals will comprise the recitation of Vedic mantras and rituals of 'jalavas, annavas, aushadhivas and shayyavas' wherein the idols will be bathed, offered food then symbolically put to rest.
The Trust had earlier said that the invitee list for the ceremony this time will focus more on religious leaders, saints and sadhus, who could not be part of the first consecration ceremony.
The list, however, is yet to be finalised, it is learnt.
'The invitees would be finalised by the Trust and Champat Rai (Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra general secretary) will announce the list. But it is sure that it is not a political event. It will be a religious ceremony,' said a Trust member.
Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said, 'Right now, all the preparations are taking place at the level of the Ram Temple Trust. On Friday, the Chief Minister will arrive and then we will get more details about the consecration ceremony.'
