Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir consecration ceremony (Pran Pratishtha) is set to be held today as PM Modi will lead the rituals, with saints and seers guiding the ceremony. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony will be attended by nearly 7,000 invitees, including politicians, industrialists, celebrities and sports personalities. The temple will be opened to the public tomorrow.

‘Mahaprasad’ that Ram Temple guests will receive today

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has received over 20,000 packets of the ‘mahaprasad’, which would be distributed among the VVIPs and dignitaries at the ceremony. Read more details here

Will Delhi AIIMS be closed today?

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi will remain closed till 2:30 pm on January 22 in wake of the Ram temple ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony in Ayodhya. Read here

Yogi Adityanath’s message ahead of consecration ceremony

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed saints and religious leaders who arrived in Ayodhya saying, “Hearty welcome and greetings to the revered saints and religious leaders coming from all over the country and the world for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the new idol of Shri Ram Lalla in the Prabhu Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple located in Shri Ayodhya Dham.”

What Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Ram Mandir opening

The Vice President said that January 22 will be etched in history as a defining moment of ‘tryst with divinity’ in the country’s civilisational trajectory.

“Congratulations on this epochal day of #RamMandirPranPratishta in the historical city of Ayodhya, the #RamJanmbhoomi… January 22 is etched in history as a defining moment of ‘tryst with divinity’ in our civilisational trajectory,” he said.

Smriti Irani performs Shramdaan at Maa Durgan Bhavani Dham

Union minister Smriti Irani performed ‘Shramdaan’ at Siddha temple ‘Maa Durgan Bhavani Dham’ in her Lok Sabha constituency Amethi.

What about entry pass for attendees at Ram Mandir ceremony?

Invitation cards for the consecration ceremony have been sent out to over 7,000 guests, including 3,000 VVIPs. Read here

Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor to attend Ram Mandir consecration

Besides Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal were snapped arriving at the airport. Madhuri Dixit was also among them. Which bollywood celebrities are attending? Check here

Gifts for the guests attending the ceremony

As guests leave after the consecration ceremony, they will be gifted a box containing soil pulled during the excavation for the temple. Details here

No stock market today

The stock market will be shut today and there won’t be trading in government securities and money markets. What RBI announced?

Don’t know where to watch the ceremony? We got you covered

The ceremony, which will be livestreamed around the world, is expected to begin at 12.20pm. The event’s coverage will begin much earlier on national broadcaster Doordarshan (DD) and private news channels. More details here

What you didn’t know about the Ram idol

The idol of Ram Lalla, carved by Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple on January 18. But there’s so much more to it which we covered here

See stunning photos of the Ram Mandir here

The Ram Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its length (east-west) is 380 feet; width 250 feet and height 161 feet. It is supported by a total of 392 pillars and has 44 doors.

Holiday for some states today

For some states, it is a holiday today which means that schools, offices and other institutions will remain shut. These include Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh but some states have a half-day off too. Check more here

Ayodhya’s security plan for Ram Mandir inauguration

A multi-layer security cover is in place in Ayodhya as 10,000 CCTV cameras and drones equipped with artificial intelligence are being used while police personnel have also been deployed at the venue.