Why Ram Temple's 1st anniversary is being celebrated today
What's the story
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will mark the first anniversary of Ram Mandir's "Pran Pratishtha" on January 11, 2025.
This will be on "Paush Shukla Paksh Dwadshi" (or "Kurma Dwadashi") of the Hindu calendar, instead of January 22 of the Gregorian calendar when the ceremony was held in 2024.
The decision came after consulting saints and prioritizing tradition over modern-day systems.
Celebration details
Anniversary celebrations to span 3 days
The anniversary celebrations will be held between January 11 and 13, with several rituals, prayers, and cultural events.
The events, which are meant to pay tribute to Lord Ram, are likely to draw a huge crowd of devotees in Ayodhya.
The festivities commenced on January 11 with an "Agnihotra" ceremony with "mantras" from the "Shukla Yajurveda."
It was followed by chanting six lakh "Shri Ram Mantras" and reciting the "Ram Raksha Stotra" and "Hanuman Chalisa."
Rituals performed
CM Adityanath performs 'abhishek,' grand aarti held
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed the "abhishek" of Ram Lalla, followed by a grand "aarti" around 12:20pm.
An offering of 56 dishes was made to the deity in a flower-decorated court.
A German hangar tent at Angad Teela has been set up to accommodate up to 5,000 people for cultural performances and daily "Ram Katha" discourses.
Construction update
Temple construction expected to complete by September 2025
The Ram temple's construction is now likely to be completed by September 2025, as it was delayed due to a shortage of workers and the need for stone replacements for durability.
Statues for Lord Ram's court are awaited from Jaipur production centers.
The celebrations hope to include common people who missed last year's ceremony along with invited VIPs.
Over 2 lakh devotees visited on January 1, reflecting high interest in participating in these spiritual events.