Ram Temple: A shipment of 300 metric tonnes of aromatic rice from Chhattisgarh was sent on Saturday for the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram temple, which scheduled to take place on January 22.
According to official statement, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai flagged off 11 trucks carrying the rice consignment by waving a saffron flag during a ceremony at Shri Ram Mandir on VIP Road in Raipur.
'Rice to be used as prasad'
The function, titled ‘Sughandit Chawal Arpan Samaroh’ (aromatic rice offering ceremony), organized by Chhattisgarh Pradesh Rice Millers Association, which has offered the rice to be used as prasad in the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
During the flag-off ceremony, state ministers Brijmohan Agrawal, Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, Dayaldas Baghel, and Laxmi Rajwade, as well as BJP MP Sunil Soni and association office-bearers, were present. The Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues offered prayers at the temple, expressing wishes for the happiness and prosperity of the state.
Lord Ram’s maternal house
Chhattisgarh, often referred to as the 'rice bowl,' is believed to be Lord Ram's 'nanihal' or the place of maternal grandparents. Research scholars suggest that Lord Ram traversed various locations in present-day Chhattisgarh during his 14-year exile from Ayodhya.
Chandkhuri, a village situated approximately 27 km from the capital Raipur, is regarded as the birthplace of Mata Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Ram. The ancient Mata Kaushalya temple in the village underwent renovation during the previous Congress government in the state.
Ram Temple inauguration
The much-awaited consecration ceremony at Ram Janmabhoomi temple is scheduled for January 22. During the consecration ceremony, the idol of Ram Lalla will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
As per the sources, only five people will be present in the sanctum sanctorum at the time of consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which will be held on January 22. Prime Minister Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Acharya will be present in the sanctum sanctorum. The curtain will remain closed at the time of consecration.
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, next year, a week before the main ceremony. A Vedic priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahautsav.
A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised in which thousands of devotees will be fed.Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand consecration of the Ram Temple.
According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people. The trust has decided to enthrone the idol of Lord Ram at the sanctum sanctorum between noon and 12.45 pm on January 22. Lakshmi Kant Dixit, a Vedic priest, is scheduled to perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony on the day.
(With agencies input)
