Ayodhya Ram Lalla idol photos: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Chief Priest Acharya Satyendra Das has demanded a probe into how Ram Lalla's idol pictures were leaked.
"The eyes of Lord Ram's idol cannot be revealed before Pran Pratishtha is completed. The idol where the eyes of Lord Ram can be seen is not the real idol. If the eyes can be seen, an investigation should be done on who revealed the eyes and how the pictures of the idol are going viral," Das said.
The pictures went viral on social media platforms on Friday evening and were shared by many VIPs. Office-bearers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and temple trust denied releasing any pictures. In one of the pictures, the idol, carved in black stone from Karnataka, has its eyes covered. In another, its face is uncovered.
VHP officials claimed the pictures may have been taken discreetly a few days before the idol was placed inside the temple and were being circulated now. "The first pictures of the complete idol are expected to be available only on January 22," a VHP spokesperson told a news agency.
The makeshift temple of Ram Lalla has been closed till the installation ceremony for the preparation of rituals. Darshan will remain suspended from Saturday morning.
On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the puja for the "Pran Pratistha'. A team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will perform the main rituals of the Pran Prathistha. The Prime Minister is strictly following a set of rules and rituals ahead of his participation in the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple. He is sleeping on the floor with only a blanket and has been only drinking coconut water.
The PM has urged the public not to visit Ayodhya on January 22 as "we would not like to cause any problems to Lord Ram", adding that everyone can come starting January 23.