In a significant development, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Sonia Gandhi have received invitations from a delegation representing the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Pran Pratishtha, or consecration ceremony, of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. However, sources indicate that both leaders are unlikely to attend the grand event.
The invitations were personally delivered by Nripendra Misra, Chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee, and ex-officio member of the Trust, along with RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sampark Pramukh Ram Lal and VHP international working president Alok Kumar. The delegation also extended invitations to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who, due to ill-health, is not entertaining visitors at this time.
Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and former President Ram Nath Kovind have also been invited to the ceremony, along with former President Pratibha Patil. It is noteworthy that Chief Ministers and Governors are not included in the guest list.
Sources in the Congress have indicated that Kharge and Gandhi are unlikely to attend the ceremony. Meanwhile, an attempt to secure an appointment with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was declined by his office, citing his fragile health.
The guest list for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony has been carefully curated, according to Champat Rai, Secretary of the Trust. The list includes a diverse array of individuals, ranging from industrialists and scientists to actors, army officers, and Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardees. Notable personalities such as the Dalai Lama, Baba Ramdev, industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, and actors Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, and Madhuri Dixit Nene are expected to be in attendance.
The consecration ceremony is set to be a grand affair, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressing a gathering of approximately 8,000 people. The tentative schedule includes elaborate rituals spanning several days, such as bathing the deity in the Sarayu river and a procession to major temples in Ayodhya for a dev darshan.
In a festive offer, every state will be allotted designated days to visit the temple after the consecration ceremony, with special provisions, including possible special trains. Chief Ministers will also be invited to join devotees from their states, with special arrangements made for their reception. Invitations have also been extended to leaders of various political parties, including Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Mayawati, and Arvind Kejriwal.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony promises to be a historic and culturally significant event, bringing together diverse leaders and personalities to witness the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Photo credit : INC
Also read: https://rammandirlive.in/grand-bhandara-in-ayodhya-as-ram-mandir-festivities-begin/