As 8,000 top dignitaries, celebrities, and wealthy devotees descend on Ayodhya today in their private jets to attend the invite-only opening ceremony of Ram Mandir, billions of faithful across the country are marking this momentous event by cooking traditional sweets, organising get-togethers, sprucing up homes and neighbourhoods, spending time in prayers and singing praises of Lord Ram. Faith can move mountains, currently, it has moved an entire Nation. Jai Siya Ram!
The countdown for the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ramlalla has begun. And everybody is waiting with bated breath to get the first glimpse of Ramlalla (Lord Ram) from inside the sanctum sanctorum of the newly-constructed Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya. Temple Trust General Secretary Champat Rai confirmed that the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ramlalla (consecration ceremony) will begin at 12:20 pm and be completed by 1 pm. As top dignitaries, celebrities, and wealthy devotees descend on Ayodhya in their private jets to attend the invite-only grand opening ceremony, billions of faithful across the country are marking this momentous event by making it inclusive and celebrating it by inviting friends from different faiths home. Some are organising cleanliness drives, cooking traditional sweets, having prayer meetings, sprucing up neighbourhoods, spending time in prayers, and reflecting on the profound teachings of Lord Ram. Perhaps, the most important takeaway in these tough times.
Food for the Gods
Chennai-based writer Latika Iyer, a single mother, has planned a ‘Ramlalla Potluck’ with her friends and their kids in her home. Some of her friends are government employees. “Thanks to the partial holiday, we all are finally meeting,” she says. The entire spread is vegetarian. Most of the dishes are traditional offerings served to the Lord. There is roasted makhana (fox nuts) and makhana kheer, moong dal halwa, kosambari (salad), panakam (a sweet refreshing drink), chalmidi (coconut-rice balls), lemon rice, wild berries, kesar laddoos, paan among other things. “It is fascinating to know that people from different regions have their distinct food offerings for Lord Ram,” avers Latika. They also plan to decorate the house with marigold flowers.
A Writer’s Delight
Celebrated author and diplomat, Amish Tripathi will be in Ayodhya on January 22 along with his wife Shivani. Amish says it’s an honour and divine grace to be in Ayodhya during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He feels that it is a civilizational moment. “It has almost never happened in world history that a pagan-idol-worshiping culture has rebuilt a major temple, once it was destroyed and another worship place built over it. The pagan Romans/Greeks, Pharaonic Egyptians, Central Americans, Zoroastrian Persians, among others weren’t allowed to rebuild, either because of violence or other pressures. The fact that this is happening in India, the only pre-bronze age culture that is still alive, is significant. In 1947 we got our political independence; in 1991 we got our economic independence, and now, we have an opportunity where January 22, 2024 can be our take-off-point, provided we are united and inclusive. This is a Hindu temple, of course, but we must carry all the 1.4 billion people in our country along with us in this grand moment, since that is what Lord Ram would have done, and would have wanted us to do.”
The bestselling Indian author, who calls himself a “proud Indian” says that his entire family is excited to go there. He plans to visit Ayodhya again after January 26, when it will be open to ordinary pilgrims. “My mother is very keen on going to Ram Janmabhoomi ji. In fact, my entire extended family plans to go there. We are genuinely devout people, and hope to go there again after the 26th and offer prayers,” says Amish, who is best known for The Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series.
Divine Dress Material
If you thought fancy designer clothes were meant only for lesser mortals then your faux pas is forgiven. There are designers like Ahmedabad-based Samir Sheth (49), who burns the midnight oil to stitch beautiful clothes for Gods and Goddesses. “I am flooded with orders to stitch clothes for Gods and Goddesses from various faiths usually during Diwali, Navratri, and the month of Shravan,” says Samir, who has been stitching clothes for statues of Gods and Goddesses in homes and temples for the past 10 years. Talking about the Lord Ram consecration ceremony celebrations, he says, “Faith is a personal thing. I cook something sweet and decorate flowers outside my house. Our society has decided to mark the event with 2,000 diyas.” Stitching clothes for the Almighty is not an easy task. It requires agile fingers, and patience since semi-precious stones, pearls, Swarovski crystals, and silver filigree are interwoven meticulously in the hand-embroidered outfits. It takes Samir two weeks to design and stitch a set of clothes for a one-foot-tall statue. The price ranges between Rs 1,000 and Rs 30,000. He draws inspiration from Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings.
Legacy of Lord Ram
Renowned writer, author, and public speaker Anand Neelakantan, who is famous for his mythological fiction and TV series like Srimad Ramayan (Sony TV) and Siya Ke Ram (Star Plus) is a busy man. While his family will be celebrating the momentous day (January 22) in his home by lighting diyas, Anand will be delivering a lecture on Ramayana in Lonavala. Anand says, “I wish I had the luxury and time for celebration. My tribute to Lord Ram is through my Srimad Ramayan series. In fact, on January 22, we are having the Ram-Sita marriage episode on the TV series.”
Anand, who has hooked readers through his books, and regaled audiences through his TV series and lectures, prefers to steer clear of politics. Anand says, “This is a new and auspicious occasion and we should all bear that in mind. Whatever has happened in history, we should learn to move on. That is the real spirit and legacy of Lord Ram, who forgave and embraced everyone. Traditionally, the portrayal of Lord Ram has always been with Laxman and Sita instead of the aggressive one with a bow and arrow. I think things will evolve and we will see the real Ram Rajya.”
The Lord’s Presence everywhere
There are some who see Lord Ram everywhere, not just in the body, mind, and soul. They see Lord Ram in daily chores and smallest of things. Neena Sharma, a FICCI Flo member, and her parents have been devout followers of Lord Ram. The family does not leave the house without reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. They have done the Akhand Ramayan path numerous times. Neena remembers how her parents would write Ram Ram 108 times. “My mother would cut each Ram word and combine it with dough, which we fed to the fish saying Ram Ram,” she says. Her entire family is celebrating Bhagwan Ram’s Pran Pratishthan with Ramlalla Agaman, bhajans and keeratan. They plan to light 108 diyas and give five diyas from Khurja along with prasadam. “The entire world is celebrating, so why not us, who have spent our entire lives surrounded by Ram,” avers Neena.
The Lord Ram fervor has spread across political party lines and seeped inside tinsel-town as well. Young, old, rich-poor, everybody seems to be talking and sharing about their ‘My Ram Moment’. Actor Adah Sharma, who has carved a niche for herself in the Hindi and Telugu film industry is super excited. “I will be celebrating one of the greatest moments in history with my family while remembering the selfless sacrifice of the devotees who fought for the last 500 years for us to experience this,” says Adah. The actor expresses her gratitude towards the millions of people (Ram bhakts) — sculptors, architects, scholars, engineers, and administration who have been working relentlessly for the big day.
Politician, philanthropist, and chairman of SVM Group, Vijayender Goud says that it is truly a big celebration. “We have set up a large LED screen in Karman-ghat, LB Nagar to view Lord Shree Rama’s Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. Following that, we organised Ananadanam for around 1,000 people at Karmanghat,” Goud says.
Ram Engrained Rice
Food bonds people forever. In the epic, Ramayan, Shabari plucked wild berries for Lord Ram and gave him only the sweet ones after tasting them and discarded the bitter ones. It’s a popular belief that the god resides in each grain of rice. Akshata, that is rice offered to the deities, is being distributed among people who are unable to visit the Ayodhya temple. The faithful of Gamdevi in Mumbai, where auditor Omkar Eknath Warik (28) stays, plan to cook rice kheer on January 22 and distribute it to all. The entire locality dons a festive look with fairy lights and decorative lanterns. Omkar says, “We have sent five lamps to every house from our side. People from our locality are going to decorate their houses by installing lights and candles. We are going to install the idol of Lord Ram prepared by us and perform a collective aarti. For prasad, we are making rice kheer. We are going to worship the rice which has come from Ayodhya in our temple.”
Streets and bylanes across the country don a festive look with saffron flags, pennants, and decorative lights in every nook and corner. In the evening, many devotees plan to take out a grand procession in chariots with characters symbolising Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman, and Sita. The heart-throbbing tunes of drums and cymbals will pierce through the air, and so will the chants of Jai Siya Ram!
TOP SPEED RAM
Looks like the Ram Mandir Euphoria, the collective Indian ‘RAM’ (Random Access Memory) akin to the Artificial Intelligence (call it IndiaAI) system is operating at an unprecedented speed translating RAM to J‘AI’ Shree RAM...(BTW.. ‘J’ is a high-level programming language for data analysis) #J #AI #JaiShreeRam #RAM #India #IndiaAI #IndiaTechade #RamMandir #Ayodhya
Whatever has happened in history, we should learn to move on. That is the real spirit and legacy of Lord Ram, who forgave and embraced everyone - Anand Neelakantan, Author, Public Speaker
It is a civilisational moment. It has almost never happened in world history that a pagan-idol-worshiping culture has rebuilt a major temple - Amish Tripathi, Author and Diplomat
(With inputs from Swati Sharma, Ajuli Tulsyan and Esha Lohia)
Food for the Gods
Chennai-based writer Latika Iyer, a single mother, has planned a ‘Ramlalla Potluck’ with her friends and their kids in her home. Some of her friends are government employees. “Thanks to the partial holiday, we all are finally meeting,” she says. The entire spread is vegetarian. Most of the dishes are traditional offerings served to the Lord. There is roasted makhana (fox nuts) and makhana kheer, moong dal halwa, kosambari (salad), panakam (a sweet refreshing drink), chalmidi (coconut-rice balls), lemon rice, wild berries, kesar laddoos, paan among other things. “It is fascinating to know that people from different regions have their distinct food offerings for Lord Ram,” avers Latika. They also plan to decorate the house with marigold flowers.
A Writer’s Delight
Celebrated author and diplomat, Amish Tripathi will be in Ayodhya on January 22 along with his wife Shivani. Amish says it’s an honour and divine grace to be in Ayodhya during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He feels that it is a civilizational moment. “It has almost never happened in world history that a pagan-idol-worshiping culture has rebuilt a major temple, once it was destroyed and another worship place built over it. The pagan Romans/Greeks, Pharaonic Egyptians, Central Americans, Zoroastrian Persians, among others weren’t allowed to rebuild, either because of violence or other pressures. The fact that this is happening in India, the only pre-bronze age culture that is still alive, is significant. In 1947 we got our political independence; in 1991 we got our economic independence, and now, we have an opportunity where January 22, 2024 can be our take-off-point, provided we are united and inclusive. This is a Hindu temple, of course, but we must carry all the 1.4 billion people in our country along with us in this grand moment, since that is what Lord Ram would have done, and would have wanted us to do.”
The bestselling Indian author, who calls himself a “proud Indian” says that his entire family is excited to go there. He plans to visit Ayodhya again after January 26, when it will be open to ordinary pilgrims. “My mother is very keen on going to Ram Janmabhoomi ji. In fact, my entire extended family plans to go there. We are genuinely devout people, and hope to go there again after the 26th and offer prayers,” says Amish, who is best known for The Shiva Trilogy and Ram Chandra Series.
Divine Dress Material
If you thought fancy designer clothes were meant only for lesser mortals then your faux pas is forgiven. There are designers like Ahmedabad-based Samir Sheth (49), who burns the midnight oil to stitch beautiful clothes for Gods and Goddesses. “I am flooded with orders to stitch clothes for Gods and Goddesses from various faiths usually during Diwali, Navratri, and the month of Shravan,” says Samir, who has been stitching clothes for statues of Gods and Goddesses in homes and temples for the past 10 years. Talking about the Lord Ram consecration ceremony celebrations, he says, “Faith is a personal thing. I cook something sweet and decorate flowers outside my house. Our society has decided to mark the event with 2,000 diyas.” Stitching clothes for the Almighty is not an easy task. It requires agile fingers, and patience since semi-precious stones, pearls, Swarovski crystals, and silver filigree are interwoven meticulously in the hand-embroidered outfits. It takes Samir two weeks to design and stitch a set of clothes for a one-foot-tall statue. The price ranges between Rs 1,000 and Rs 30,000. He draws inspiration from Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings.
Legacy of Lord Ram
Renowned writer, author, and public speaker Anand Neelakantan, who is famous for his mythological fiction and TV series like Srimad Ramayan (Sony TV) and Siya Ke Ram (Star Plus) is a busy man. While his family will be celebrating the momentous day (January 22) in his home by lighting diyas, Anand will be delivering a lecture on Ramayana in Lonavala. Anand says, “I wish I had the luxury and time for celebration. My tribute to Lord Ram is through my Srimad Ramayan series. In fact, on January 22, we are having the Ram-Sita marriage episode on the TV series.”
Anand, who has hooked readers through his books, and regaled audiences through his TV series and lectures, prefers to steer clear of politics. Anand says, “This is a new and auspicious occasion and we should all bear that in mind. Whatever has happened in history, we should learn to move on. That is the real spirit and legacy of Lord Ram, who forgave and embraced everyone. Traditionally, the portrayal of Lord Ram has always been with Laxman and Sita instead of the aggressive one with a bow and arrow. I think things will evolve and we will see the real Ram Rajya.”
The Lord’s Presence everywhere
There are some who see Lord Ram everywhere, not just in the body, mind, and soul. They see Lord Ram in daily chores and smallest of things. Neena Sharma, a FICCI Flo member, and her parents have been devout followers of Lord Ram. The family does not leave the house without reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. They have done the Akhand Ramayan path numerous times. Neena remembers how her parents would write Ram Ram 108 times. “My mother would cut each Ram word and combine it with dough, which we fed to the fish saying Ram Ram,” she says. Her entire family is celebrating Bhagwan Ram’s Pran Pratishthan with Ramlalla Agaman, bhajans and keeratan. They plan to light 108 diyas and give five diyas from Khurja along with prasadam. “The entire world is celebrating, so why not us, who have spent our entire lives surrounded by Ram,” avers Neena.
The Lord Ram fervor has spread across political party lines and seeped inside tinsel-town as well. Young, old, rich-poor, everybody seems to be talking and sharing about their ‘My Ram Moment’. Actor Adah Sharma, who has carved a niche for herself in the Hindi and Telugu film industry is super excited. “I will be celebrating one of the greatest moments in history with my family while remembering the selfless sacrifice of the devotees who fought for the last 500 years for us to experience this,” says Adah. The actor expresses her gratitude towards the millions of people (Ram bhakts) — sculptors, architects, scholars, engineers, and administration who have been working relentlessly for the big day.
Politician, philanthropist, and chairman of SVM Group, Vijayender Goud says that it is truly a big celebration. “We have set up a large LED screen in Karman-ghat, LB Nagar to view Lord Shree Rama’s Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. Following that, we organised Ananadanam for around 1,000 people at Karmanghat,” Goud says.
Ram Engrained Rice
Food bonds people forever. In the epic, Ramayan, Shabari plucked wild berries for Lord Ram and gave him only the sweet ones after tasting them and discarded the bitter ones. It’s a popular belief that the god resides in each grain of rice. Akshata, that is rice offered to the deities, is being distributed among people who are unable to visit the Ayodhya temple. The faithful of Gamdevi in Mumbai, where auditor Omkar Eknath Warik (28) stays, plan to cook rice kheer on January 22 and distribute it to all. The entire locality dons a festive look with fairy lights and decorative lanterns. Omkar says, “We have sent five lamps to every house from our side. People from our locality are going to decorate their houses by installing lights and candles. We are going to install the idol of Lord Ram prepared by us and perform a collective aarti. For prasad, we are making rice kheer. We are going to worship the rice which has come from Ayodhya in our temple.”
Streets and bylanes across the country don a festive look with saffron flags, pennants, and decorative lights in every nook and corner. In the evening, many devotees plan to take out a grand procession in chariots with characters symbolising Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman, and Sita. The heart-throbbing tunes of drums and cymbals will pierce through the air, and so will the chants of Jai Siya Ram!
TOP SPEED RAM
Looks like the Ram Mandir Euphoria, the collective Indian ‘RAM’ (Random Access Memory) akin to the Artificial Intelligence (call it IndiaAI) system is operating at an unprecedented speed translating RAM to J‘AI’ Shree RAM...(BTW.. ‘J’ is a high-level programming language for data analysis) #J #AI #JaiShreeRam #RAM #India #IndiaAI #IndiaTechade #RamMandir #Ayodhya
Whatever has happened in history, we should learn to move on. That is the real spirit and legacy of Lord Ram, who forgave and embraced everyone - Anand Neelakantan, Author, Public Speaker
It is a civilisational moment. It has almost never happened in world history that a pagan-idol-worshiping culture has rebuilt a major temple - Amish Tripathi, Author and Diplomat
(With inputs from Swati Sharma, Ajuli Tulsyan and Esha Lohia)
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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