First Holi in Ayodhya After Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha With Gulal Made From Kachnar Flowers | PICS

Ayodhya: Devotees thronged in Ayodhya as it happens to be first Holi after pran pratishtha of Ram Lalla at the newly constructed Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also said that this Holi happens to be special for the devotees of Lord Ram. 

A grand Holi celebration is being observed at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday. The people from different places reached the temple early in the morning and offered colour and gulaal to the idol of the Ram temple. The entire Ram Janmabhoomi premises was then immersed in the joy of of the festival of colours.

In the court of the Ram temple, the priests showered flowers on the idol and played Holi with the deity along with the offering of abir and gulaal as part of the Raag Bhog and adornment, including 56 types of food dishes were also offered before the idol. The priests sang Holi songs along with the devotees and danced in front of the idol to please the Ramlalla.

The Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra on Monday shared glimpse of Rangotsav celebrations at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir. 

Ram Lalla To Play Holi With Special Gulal 

Ram Lalla will celebrate Holi at his new Ayodhya Man on Tuesday, a day after the festival will be celebrated across the country, with nine priests performing special prayers and applying eco-friendly 'gulal' on him. Later, devotees will play Holi with the same 'gulal'. The celebration will last for five hours, Ram temple head priest Satyendra Das told PTI. 

The 'gulal' that will be applied on Ram Lalla has been prepared by a team of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI). CSIR-NBRI Director Ajit Kumar Shasany told PTI, "Ram Lalla is very young and we cannot make him play Holi with chemical colours. So, he will play Holi with the 'gulal' made from kachnar flowers, which have 30 medicinal properties. The pink 'gulal' derives its colour from the flowers. Vegetable starch has been used as the base material for the 'gulal' instead of talcum powder, he said

Shah Says This Holi is Special 

Referring to the idol consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Shah said Holi this year was special for all "Ram bhakts" because the lord was celebrating the festival of colours after a gap of 500 years.

"This Holi is special for each and every devotee of Lord Ram. There is an old folk song which says Holi Khele Raghuveera Avadh Mae..Now after 500 years, Raghuveer is playing Holi at Avadh. This is a matter of great joy for everyone. My greetings to all the citizens on the occasion of Holi," he said at the gathering in Gandhinagar.