Ram Temple Trust requests Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi to skip consecration ceremony in Ayodhya

The Ram Temple Trust has requested BJP stalwarts LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi — the two significant leaders behind the Ayodhya movement back in the 90s — to skip the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22 next month.

The temple trust on Monday said the duo is likely to miss the much-awaited inauguration of the temple due to their age and health-related issues. While Advani is a nonagenarian, Joshi too will be one as he turns 90 next month.

Champat Rai, General Secretary of Ram Temple Trust, said, "Both are elders of the family and considering their age, they were requested not to come, which was accepted by both."

Rai added that preparations for the consecration were in full swing, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the preparations would be completed by January 15 and the puja for 'praan pratistha' will start from January 16 and will continue till 22nd January and the temple will be opened for devotees from January 23.

Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Mata Amritanandamayi of Kerala, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, cine stars Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Arun Govil, film director Madhur Bhandarkar and prominent industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, famous painter Vasudev Kamat, ISRO Director Nilesh Desai and many other eminent personalities have been invited to the function.

Rai said proper arrangements have been made for the guests to stay at more than three places in Ayodhya. Apart from this, 600 rooms have been made available by various monasteries, temples and household families.

In addition, fibre toilets will be installed for devotees and changing rooms will be set up for women at designated places.

Ahead of the inauguration, a diamond merchant from Gujarat's diamond hub, Surat, has unveiled a unique necklace at the Sarasana Jewelry Expo, dedicated to the theme of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. (with PTI inputs)

Crafted with precision and adorned with 5,000 American diamonds and two kilograms of silver, the necklace features intricately designed idols of Lord Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman, along with the regal Ram Darbar.

Surat-based Rasesh Jewelers spearheaded this initiative, bringing together the expertise of over 40 skilled artisans who spent 30 days meticulously crafting the exquisite design.

The result is a two-kilogram masterpiece that seamlessly combines traditional craftsmanship with a profound sense of devotion, capturing the essence of the revered Ram Darbar.  News agency ANI has tweeted the video from the expo.

Take a look below
 

#WATCH | Surat, Gujarat: A diamond merchant from Surat has made a necklace on the theme of the Ram temple using 5000 American diamonds and 2 kg silver. 40 artisans completed the design in 35 days. pic.twitter.com/nFh3NZ5XxE

— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023