Ram Lalla idol installed as Ayodhya getting ready for the big day

Lucknow: The 51-inch-tall idol of Ram Lalla was installed in the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Temple at 1.28 pm on Thursday, amid chanting of hymns.

The members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust including Anil Mishra, Champat Rai and Swami Govind Giri were present when the 200-kg idol, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, was installed.

Given the space constraints inside the sanctum sanctorum, a team of engineers oversaw the entire process, The Indian Express reported citing an eyewitness.

The idol underwent “Jaladhivas” ritual having draped it in wet cloth alongside covering paste made of Chandan and Kesar.

Parallel to this ceremony, the rituals on the old idol , which is known as “Rajat” or “Utsav” idol, have started.

Following the installation of the idol, a series of rituals have taken place including cleaning of the sanctorum.

Afterwards, only the Acharya performing the puja along with the ‘Yajman’ was allowed inside.

The series of rituals yet to come along include Ganesh Ambika Pujan, Varun Pujan and the Vastu Pujan.

Now that the installation was over, the ‘mandap’ is getting ready for the “hawan” beginning on Friday head of the consecration ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Centre has declared a half-day on January 22 allowing ‘employees to participate in the celebrations’.

‘To enable employees to participate in the celebrations, it has been decided that all Central Government Offices, Central Institutions and Central Industrial Establishments throughout India will be closed for half day till 1430 hours on 22nd January, 2024,’the Department of Personnel and Training announced Thursday.

Meanwhile, PM Modi on Thursday released six special commemorative postage stamps dedicated to the temple, according to The Indian Express.