HYDERABAD: Ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the Lord Ram Lalla idol at the temple Ayodhya on Monday, the city is abuzz with preparations for festivities to mark the ceremony. Numerous educational institutions have stepped forward, announcing that on the day of the event, students will don attire resembling characters from the Ramayana.
A delegation from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has been actively visiting devout followers, presenting ‘Akshatalu’ brought for the temple’s [ratishtha puja. Open grounds across the city are being transformed into with structures resembling the Ayodhya Ram Temple, even as the nearly 30,000 temples across the state are hosting related events.
Organisers have issued a plea for families to participate in the ‘Ram Jyothi’ by lighting five lamps in front of each house on January. The symbolism behind the five lamps is a tribute to the 500 years of struggle that led to the establishment of the temple.
Cultural programmes are being organized for the day, with live streaming available in all participating temples. Preceding the live streaming, each temple will conduct rituals specific to its prominence until 11 am. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony will follow at about 12.20 pm, culminating in the distribution of ‘Annaprasadam’ or food.
Kamalananda Bharathi Swami, a city coordinator for event planning, showed enthusiasm for the cultural extravaganza.
The Sangh Parivar and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), engaging with various institutions, have urged the Telangana state government to declare a holiday on January 22.
Dr Ravinuthala Shashidhar, VHP state joint secretary, appealed to the state endowment and culture department to organise cultural programmes at temples and other venues.
Highlighting their vision, he proposed illuminating the Bhakta Ramdasu bandikhana in Golconda fort — where the saint-poet was imprisoned for using Qutb Shahi funds to build the Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple at Bhadrachalam, and transforming it into a museum dedicated to his life.
Adding a unique touch to the celebration, a colossal moving mascot resembling the Ayodhya Temple has been crafted by Sudha Car. Installed at the Devibagh Temple in Badhurpura, the mascot's vehicle will be showcased at the Numaish in Nampally.
