In the view of the Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha on January 22, the Maharashtra government has declared a public holiday on Monday, the day of the consecration ceremony. The announcement was made on Friday in a circular issued by the government.
The announcement follows similar decisions by the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Goa, all of which have also declared January 22 as a public holiday.
On Thursday, the Centre announced half-day working at all central government offices across India on January 22 on the occasion of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. Similarly, the Ministry of Finance's Department of Financial Services said that all public sector banks, public sector insurance companies, public sector financial institutions and regional rural banks will work only till 2:30 pm on January 22.
Face of Ram Lalla revealed
Meanwhile, the blindfold covering the eyes of the Ram Lalla idol placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir was removed, revealing the face of the deity. Crafted from black stone by Mysuru artist Arun Yogiraj Mysuru, the 51-inch idol presents the first glimpse of the idol in a standing five-year-old child form.
As many as 11,000 dignitaries have been invited for the consecration ceremony on Monday. These include cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, as well as Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.
The ceremony will also witness the presence of the trustees of the temple trust, seers from about 150 sects and over 500 people involved in the construction of the temple.
