With the pran-pratistha (consecration) of the 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla, the sacred child form of Lord Ram, sculpted by Arun Yogiraj to take place today on January 22, Ayodhya's Ram Temple will house four Ram Lalla idols. Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said that the old idol of Ram Lalla, currently housed in a makeshift shrine, will be positioned in front of the new idol scheduled for consecration, news agency PTI reported.
The original Ram Lalla idol is relatively small, measuring five to six inches in height. A new idol was deemed necessary for the pran-pratishtha because the original one is not easily visible from a distance of 25 to 30 feet, he said.
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The old idol of Ram Lalla, meanwhile, was transferred from the makeshift temple to the sanctum sanctorum of the new Ram Temple. Alongside, Hanuman and Shaligram, along with Lord Ram's three brothers, were also moved to the sanctum sanctorum. The consecration programme is set to begin at 12:30 pm on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive in Ayodhya at 10:30 am to participate in the historic event.
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Last week, a 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla was installed in the innermost sacred area of the Ram Temple. Three idols of Lord Ram were crafted, and among them, the one created by Yogiraj from Mysuru has been chosen for the pran prathistha ceremony.
"We shall place them in the temple with all honour and respect. One of the idols will be kept with us since we will need it to measure the clothes and ornaments of Prabhu Shri Ram," the news agency quoted Giri as saying.
He expressed the challenge in selecting one idol out of the three, saying it was very tough for the trust to choose one idol out of three. All of them are very beautiful and followed the criteria provided by the temple authorities.
As per Giri's description, the selected idol for the consecration ceremony is characterised as "stout and possesses a dignified personality." The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has already allocated more than Rs 1,100 crore towards the construction of the Ram Temple. The treasurer expects an additional expenditure of around Rs 300 crore to bring the project to completion.
In a significant moment during the pran-pratishtha rituals, the idol of Ram Lalla's eyes will be unveiled. Trust members deemed the idol crafted by Yogiraj as the most fitting choice among the three options, noting that it embodied the desired qualities of child-like innocence, divinity, and regality.
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