From Gita Press printing spree to 7,000 kg halwa, here's how India is gearing up for Ram Mandir consecration

The demand for saffron flags in Ayodhya has shot up ahead of the temple's consecration ceremony

Preparations are in full swing for the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be performing the Pran Pratishta ceremony; around 6,000 dignitaries from across India will be in attendance.

Ahead of the temple opening ceremony, several reports have emerged from across the country that suggest a festive mood among the devotees.

7,000 kg halwa

Vishnu Manohar, a Nagpur-based chef and founder of Vishnuji Ki Rasoi, a chain of vegetarian restaurants, will be making 7,000 kg of halwa to distribute among the devotees following the temple's consecration.

In an interview with Moneycontrol, Manohar said the sweet, named "Ram halwa", will be made using 700 kg rawa (semolina), 700 kg ghee, 1120 kg sugar, 1850 litres milk, 1,850 litres mineral water, 21 kg cardamom powder, 21 kg nutmeg powder, 1,162 bananas, 50 kg tulsi leaves and 300 kg cashews and raisins.

Gita Press on printing spree

Ahead of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the demand for Ramcharitmanas has increased manifold. This has led to a stock shortage at Gorakhpur’s Gita Press for the first time in the past 50 years. According to media reports, the demand for Hanuman Chalisa and Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta has also increased in the run-up to the ceremony.

A trustee of the press has reportedly said that due to the spike in demand for Ramcharitmanas, they have exhausted their entire stock but are trying to publish more to keep up with the demand.

500 kg special 'nagada'

The Dabgar community in Gujarat’s Karnavati has prepared a 500 kg special 'nagada', that has been brought to Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony, the Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust said.

The nagada or the drum will be installed within the temple's premises, a senior official of the trust said, adding that it has been designed to withstand exposure to rain and sunlight.

Iron and copper plates, along with coatings of gold and silver have been used in making the nagada, reports said.

45 tonnes of 'prasad'

Laddu, the popular North Indian sweet, is being prepared since January 6 in Ayodhya. The preparation will continue till January 22, the day of the temple's consecration. The target is to make 45 tonnes of laddu, News18 reported, citing sources.

The confectioners are making 1,200 kg of laddu per day to meet the target, the report said, citing sources. These laddus are being made using desi ghee, and without a single drop of water, it added.

The laddus will be distributed as prasad to devotees, including the VIPs, following the consecration ceremony, the report further noted.

Dry day

Uttar Pradesh, the state where Ayodhya is located, was the first to announce a dry day on January 22. A dry day means that the sale of liquor would remain barred on that day.

Subsequently, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Uttarakhand also announced a prohibition on the sale of liquor on January 22.

A demand has also been raised in Jharkhand by BJP MP Deepak Prakash, who has written to Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking the closure of liquor and meat shops on the day of Ram temple consecration.

10,000 CCTV cameras

To ensure safety, the Uttar Pradesh Police has installed over 10,000 CCTV cameras and will deploy drones in Ayodhya on the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple.

Anti-drone system has also been installed to take control of any unauthorised drone in the vicinity, SP Security Gaurav Vanswal said. DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar said over 10,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in Ayodhya district. Apart from this, modern technical equipment has also been deployed to help the police force, officials added.

Saffron flag demand skyrockets

The demand for saffron flags, particularly in Ayodhya, has skyrocketed ahead of the temple consecration ceremony.

Shopkeepers in the town told reporters that such flags used to be in demand since November 2019, after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of constructing a temple on the once-disputed site. However, the demand shot up meteorically in recent days, after January 22 was confirmed as the date of consecration, they said.

in the last few weeks, and particularly due to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ coming up at the new Ram temple, there has been a fresh surge in the demand,” Pradip Gupta, who runs a restaurant along Ram Path, a key thoroughfare in the heart of Ayodhya, told news agency PTI.

4K live broadcast

Nearly 40 cameras will be installed by Doordarshan at various locations in Ayodhya, including the new Ram temple complex, for live coverage of the consecration ceremony, a top official of the national broadcaster said on January 13.

The event will be broadcast in cutting-edge 4K technology, the official reportedly said, adding that besides the main temple premises, visuals would also be beamed from Ram ki Paidi near Saryu Ghat, Jatayu statue at Kuber Tila, and other locations.

"Like the G20...when we had done 4K transmission, this time also, Doordarshan will do it in 4K (broadcast technology).... The entire coverage will be live and broadcast in different languages, and on different channels. And, private channels will also get the feed via Doordarshan," PTI quoted Ministry of Information and Broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra as saying.