Ram Mandir updates: Ram Mandir inauguration date is inching closer, and with only two weeks to go for the mega historic event in Ayodhya on January 22, the invitation cards are being sent out to the guests in full swing and will be “hand-delivered to all the guests” through representatives of the temple trust and a large number of volunteers in the country and abroad, official sources said. Those involved in the distribution of cards include the representatives of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and their allies who are aiding in the process.
"We have a huge network of people and volunteers. And, each guest will receive the invitation card by hand and not through postal or courier delivery service," a temple trust member said.
Personalities invited to the event
Some of the guests have already been handed over the invitation card, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Sonia Gandhi. According to party sources, the invitation cards were hand-delivered to both of them by a senior representative of the temple trust.
Among those who feature in the invite list of the temple trust include cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, and billionaire industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.
"We have invited people from different walks of life, from space exploration to arts and some forgotten tribals to architects. Besides, some of the prominent names being among the invitees, there are several others who have made a mark in their lives. They have been invited too," a senior member of the temple trust said.
“Invitations have been sent out to different sects and communities for the grand 'pran pratishtha' of the Ram temple on January 22,” the sources said.
Nearly 4,000 seers from across the country and 50 guests from abroad have been invited by the temple trust to attend the mega event.
The invitees from abroad will also receive invitation cards by hand, a top source in the trust said.
"Similar to our network of people in India, we have volunteers in foreign countries too. We will send the cards to them from India and representatives will then travel to hand-deliver it to the guests," the source added.
Iqbal Ansari, a litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, also received an invitation on January 5 for the ceremony. He was handed over the card by a representative of the trust at his house in Kotia Panjitola near the Ram Path in Ayodhya.
Actors Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia, who played the roles of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita in the famous TV serial ‘Ramayan’, have also been invited to the ceremony.
General secretary of the trust Champat Rai had earlier said family members of 50 karsevaks who lost their lives during the Ram temple movement have also been invited. Invitations have also been sent to judges, scientists, writers and poets.
What does the invitation card consist of?
The invitation card has an imposing image of Ram Mandir and Lord Ram. Besides the large, aesthetically-designed cards, the invitation also includes a booklet carrying brief profiles of some of the key people who were involved in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Invitation cards have been printed in "both Hindi and English".
Ayodhya is being decked up for the historic event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Each invitation set carries the main invitation card, the "Pran Pratishtha" programme card and a booklet on the journey of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and people who played a part in it, directly or indirectly.
(With PTI inputs)
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