LUCKNOW: On the eve of the consecration ceremony, Ayodhya is adorned, resonating with a blend of revelry and spirituality.
The fervour unfolds with the whiff of air in the town, replete with the mild fragrance of ‘dhoop’ percolating gradually and mingling with the feel and vibrancy of the city, reflecting the imminent prominence of the city as a global spiritual destination.
Decorated with 2500–3000 kg of flowers, confetti, and fluttering saffron flags emblazoned with the symbols of 'Treta Yug', the city has spread its arms to welcome its 7,000 plus distinguished guests led by the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It is set to be a moment to go into the annals of history as one of the most significant events of the century in India on Monday, January 22, when Lord Ram will get his permanent abode in a majestic temple after a wait of five centuries. A temple that will stand for ages as a symbol of pride.
The consecration of Lord Ram as a five-year-old boy in sanctum-sanctorum is just a few hours away with most guests are already in Ayodhya, while the rest are expected to reach on Monday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is already in Ayodhya, taking stock of the minute details to ensure a flawless event. The dawn on Monday will be marked by ‘Mangal Dhwani’ made through 50 musical instruments from different states. The Mangal Dhawni will continue for two hours, from 10 am until the commencement of the consecration ritual.
PM Modi, who will take part in rituals, will arrive at Ayodhya Airport on Monday morning at 10:25 am and reach the temple site at 11 am. Till noon, the PM will take part in various events and will start the puja at 12.05 pm until 12.55 pm. PM Modi will spend about 3.5 hours in the temple town until 2:10 pm.
Accompanied by 15 other Yajmans from different sections of society, PM Modi will lead the final ritual - the Chakshu Unmilaan (opening of eyes - of the deity, marking the culmination of the week-long rituals.
After entering the sanctum sanctorum, the PM will remove the blindfold from the idol of Ram Lalla from behind and will apply Kajal to the eyes of the deity with a small gold stick.
Then the PM will also show a mirror to Ram Lalla, followed by a Mahaarti by illuminating 108 diyas to conclude the consecration of Ram Lalla.
The performance of the final ritual has been given a window of just 84 seconds for the most auspicious ‘Mool Muhurt', which will commence at 12:29:08 pm and end at 12:30:32 pm under Abhijeet Muhurt.
The nakshatra will be Mrigshira. However, the Abhijeet Muhurt will commence at 11:51 am. After this, Ram Lalla will assume the status of the presiding deity of the new temple before going for Shaiyadhivas (rest in bed).
After the consecration and Shaiyadhivas of the deity, 10,000 lakh earthen lamps will be lit to illuminate Ayodhya to mark the second Diwali in the evening. All the final rituals will be conducted by a team of 121 acharyas of Kashi led by Acharya Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid. Acharya Lakshmi Kant Mathuradas Dikshit will be the principal priest.
During the performance of the final ritual, PM Modi, CM Yogi, RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat, UP Governor Anandiben Patel, and temple trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das will be present in the sanctum sanctorum. Elaborate seating arrangements have also been made for 8,500 guests, including 7,000 invitees, in front of the main temple.
'Ecstasy and euphoria'
As per the configuration, the 4000 saints and seers will sit on one side and the rest of 3000 distinguished guests, including industry titans Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Lakshmi Mittal, actors Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, singers Asha Bhosle, Shankar Mahadevan, and Usha Mangeshkar, fromer judges SA Bobde and UU Lalit, lawyers Mahesh Jethmalani, Tushar Mehta, and Ravi Shankar Prasad, who fought the case on behalf of Ram Lalla in court.
In fact, rituals leading to the final pran-pratishtha started on January 16 with Prayashchit (atonement) and Karmkuti Pujan. On January 17, a new idol entered the temple, and on January 18, it was installed on the pedestal. On January 19 and 20, the idol went through different adhivas. On January 21, all the rituals led to the shaiyadhivas of the idol, which was put on its bed to rest.
The ecstasy and euphoria are not surprising in the temple town, given the significance of the occasion. People are dancing to Ram Dhun, and bhajans are going on the loop on sound systems around the clock.
Folk dancers can be found at every crossing and all along the Ram Path. Over 100 stages have been erected all through the Ram Path, where 2500 folk artists from Badhawa, Chari, Ghumar, Dhobiya, Rai, Raslila, Mayur, Khayal Nritya, and Sataria are showcasing their talent.
A number of seers and saints have set up their ashrams and ‘havan kunds’ in thousands. Ramkatha, bhajans, havans, and Ram Lila are going on round the clock. The banks of Saryu are illuminated with façade lights and laser shows to add to the gleam.
Security ramped up
Meanwhile, a thick security blanket has been thrown across the city with two teams of NSG snipers, six teams of ATS commandos coupled with anti-drone technology, and 15,000 policemen from UP and paramilitary will stay on guard during the consecration ceremony.
The entire security area has been divided into 17 zones, each headed by a superintendent of police rank officer, who will further be assisted by a dedicated CCTV control room. An infrared beam-based intruder detection system linked to a security camera network will be installed. 50 vehicles from UP 112 will be patrolling in shifts in the city.
Not just Ayodhya passages linking the city and the villages in the periphery have been covered. The Red Zone, which has the strictest security parameters in place, will have 250 AI-based high-resolution cameras covering the entire stretch of Ram Mandir. Another 319 facial reading-based CCTV cameras have been installed in the Yellow Zone, which covers the Parikrama area, Ram Path, and Hanuman Garhi.
The intelligence bureau and RAW are also keeping a vigil on the movement of people who have thronged the city in large numbers despite all the restrictions. The police force from different districts have been called in. It comprises over 100 DYSPs, 325 inspectors, 800 S-Is, and 11,000 personnel who have been deployed. For VIP security, three DIGs, 17 SPs, 40 ASPs, 82 DySPs, 90 inspectors, over 1000 constables, and four PAC companies have been deployed.
Besides all the arrangements, including 40 ambulances to meet any medical emergency, green corridors have been created in five districts, including Lucknow adjacent to Ayodhya, for flawless and smooth movement of VIP vehicles.
Moreover, arrangements for the parking of nearly 100 chartered and private aircraft have been made across a dozen airports in four states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.
