Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has become the latest addition to the list of guests invited for Pran Pratishtha for grand Ram Mandir in the holy city of Ayodhya set to take place on January 22, Monday.
Ashwin has joined Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and MS Dhoni as cricketers to be invited for the grand inauguration of Ram Mandir. Other Indian athletes, including the likes of PV Sindhu, Rohit Sharma and Neeraj Chopra are likely to be invited for the event.
A photo of Ravichandran Ashwin getting invitation for the auspicious went viral on social media. The committee members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra are personally inviting prominent celebrities and stars for the grand event in Ayodhya.
It has been reported that more than 6000 guests and over 1 lakh people will part of the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, Industrialists Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani are among the VVIPs for the grand ceremony of Ram Mandir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be headlining the Pran Pratishtha. Meanwhile, Idol of Lord Ram or Ram Lalla Idol has been placed inside the sanctum as part of the rituals in lead up to consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir.
What is Pran Pratishtha?
Pran Pratishtha holds a profound significance in Hindu ritual as it involves praying to deity as an Idol. Pran Pratishtha basically means establishment of the life force of the deity.
In Pran Pratishtha, the idol will undergo a ritualistic process as per Hindu customs before finding its place in the temple. It is often believed that the effects of Pran Pratishtha are quite enduring as once the ritual is over, the divine presence in the idol is said to continue for eternity.
Prior to the event, the Idol will be subjected to bath in milk as part of ritualistic ceremony and escorted by application of various fragrances, which symbolizes purification and consecration. After this ritual, the idol will be carefully positioned by facing the east.
Once the idol is placed in the designated position, the priest will chant mantras and hymns to mark the beginning of Pran Pratishtha
