“Day of the people”: Ex-Babri litigant on Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 22 (ANI): Ahead of Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony today, a former litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, Iqbal Ansari, said that the dispute over Ram Temple has ended completely, adding that whatever may have been the struggle, today has become the day of the people.

“All deities of all religions reside in the city of Ayodhya. Pran Pratishtha is going to take place today. This is the beginning of the Mandir…Whatever may have been the struggle, today has become the day of the people. Now people should visit and see whatever is there in Ayodhya; they should follow the path shown by God Ram,” said Iqbal Ansari.

He also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ayodhya for the historic event. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is most welcome at Ayodhya. Every coming guest is a welcome sign for us. Whoever is there today, whoever comes to our door, we welcome him. This is our tradition,” said Iqbal Ansari.

Notably, Ansari earlier received an invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Temple, scheduled for January 22.

“We are very happy that we have been invited. We will be welcoming the guests of Ayodhya,” added Ansari.

Meanwhile, the Pran Prathistha ceremony will be held on Monday in the temple town of Ayodhya amid tight security. The historic ritual of Ram Lalla’s ‘Pran Pratistha’ will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saints, and a host of distinguished guests.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced on Sunday that the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony will be marked by a dazzling musical event titled ‘Mangal Dhwani’.

The soiree, featuring some of the biggest names in the world of music, will be staged at 10 am.

The Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Temple will be held at 12:30 pm.

Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh has been decked up with posters and flags of Lord Ram while cities across the country have been decorated with lights, huge cutouts of Lord Ram and posters bearing religious slogans related to Lord Ram.

The Central Government announced on Thursday that all its offices will be closed for half a day on January 22.

Many states have announced a holiday for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are among them. In Delhi, LG VK Saxena on Saturday approved the closure of government offices and educational institutions for half day till 2:30 PM on January 22.

The Uttar Pradesh government has tightened security in the city by setting up a dial 112 monitoring centre at Lata Mangeshkar Chowk.

Uttar Pradesh Police Department authorities said on Sunday that over 13 thousand security personnel have been deployed in and around Ayodhya to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the mega temple event.

Speaking to ANI, Special DG Prashant Kumar said, “This is a significant undertaking for the UP Police. It poses both a challenge and an opportunity. Extensive security arrangements have been put in place, including traffic diversions from surrounding districts. Only authorised vehicles are permitted to enter Ayodhya starting tomorrow.”

Besides, elaborate seating arrangements have been made for invitees. There will be a sector-wise deployment of officials and personnel overseeing the security and arrangements.

The entire district is equipped with around 10,000 CCTV cameras, and coordination with central and state agencies has been established, the special DG said.

According to officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has set up a camp near the shrine in Ayodhya to respond to contingencies, if any.

Anti-bomb squad and dog squad teams were also deployed at Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, as devotees and dignitaries started pouring into the temple town.

People of the Hindu community across the globe are gearing up for grand celebrations, showcasing their unbridled enthusiasm and reverence for this historic occasion.

Earlier, on Thursday, January 18, the idol of Shri Ram Lalla, carved by renowned Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

Covered with a veil, the first photo of the idol was revealed during the placement ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

Special guests from the cricket world, film world, saint society, politics, art, literature, culture and other fields have also been invited to the ceremony. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.