The countdown for the grand ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Temple has begun and around 7,000 dignitaries from across the world will attend the event in Ayodhya on 22 January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony and before the event, he is following a strict 11-day ‘anushthan’ or special ritual which includes sleeping on the floor and consuming coconut water.

Ram Mandir inauguration: In the past week, the PM has visited different states to unveil developmental projects or to carry out party activities, but the messaging has been linked to Lord Ram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach the temple town on Tuesday morning, and kick off the Pran Pratishtha rituals at kick off at 12.05 pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat are expected to address the temple’s inauguration function.

The consecration ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram is set to witness the participation of about 8,000 invitees, including 1,500-1,600 “eminent” guests.

The live screening of the inauguration of the Rs 1,200-crore Ram temple will be held between 11 am and 1 pm on January 22. The entire ceremony will be broadcast live on DD News. The international audience can watch the ceremony over the YouTube channel of Doordarshan National.

Leading up to the programme, PM Modi, who had started a 11-day ritual on January 12, has visited several temples with some connection to Lord Ram during his official visits to states. In the past week, the PM has visited different states to unveil developmental projects or to carry out party activities, but the messaging has been linked to Lord Ram.

PM Modi has been associated with the Ram Temple movement since 1990 and played a crucial role in managing the Rath Yatra of former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani. The construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been part of BJP's main election planks since its inception in 1980.

Ahead of the consecration ceremony on 22 January, PM Modi is visiting several temples across India. Earlier in the day, he visited Sri Ranganathaswamy and Ramanathaswamy temples in Tamil Nadu and took a dip at the Rameswaram 'Angi theerth' beach.

Prime Minister Modi has a planned visit to the Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Dhanushkodi on Sunday, where he is scheduled to have a darshan and participate in a puja ceremony at the shrine. Additionally, he will explore Arichal Munai, believed to be the location where the 'Ram Setu' was constructed.

Continuing his recent trend of visiting numerous temples and engaging in the recitation of verses from the epic 'Ramayana' in diverse languages such as Marathi, Malayalam, and Telugu, PM Modi is set to partake in the 'Shri Ramayana Paryana' at the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple on the upcoming Sunday.