A day before the event, Ayodhya was marked with festive anticipation and revelry by devotees, with men in fatigues from the state police force, CRPF and Rapid Action Force spread across the town in varying intensities. Lata Chowk and the road leading to the Hanumangari temple witnessed the thickest crowds of devotees. The road leading to the Ram temple was cordoned off.
On January 22, outsiders will not be allowed inside the town, unless they are attendees or have valid permissions.
At the temple, marking the sixth day of pre-rituals, the idol of Ram Lalla was bathed in water from 114 kalash (urns). The idol was bathed with medicated water and water brought from various pilgrimage sites from India. The consecration on Monday will be carried out by PM Narendra Modi. The muhurat for the ritual on Monday is between 12:29:8 pm to 12:30:32 pm, leaving 84 seconds for the consecration. From about 10 am in the morning for over two hours until the muhurat, a ‘Mangal Dhwani’ (Divine Melody) will be played in the temple courtyard.
“In our Indian tradition, on any auspicious festival, a ritual of mangal dhwani or playing traditional music before God has been laid down. In this context, the consecration of Lord Ram is a once-in-a-century moment of pride for every Indian and we will be playing instruments from all regions and states of the country,” Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra said.
