Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Himachal govt declares public holiday on Jan 22 

The Himachal Pradesh government on Sunday declared a public holiday in the state on January 22 on the occasion of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. "It is hereby notified that the full day of 22nd January shall be observed as a public holiday in all departments, boards, corporations, schools, colleges, universities etc of Himachal Pradesh Government to enable its employees on the occasion of Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya," a notification from the general administration said. "The holiday will be applicable to the daily wage employees." 

With this, Himachal has become the only Congress-ruled state to declare a holiday on January 22. So far, 14 BJP-ruled states have declared a holiday on the occasion of Ram temple consecration. The BJP leaders have been demanding Karnataka and West Bengal to declare a holiday on January 22. 

Earlier this month, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he does not need an invitation to go to Ayodhya. Sukhu, however, said he would visit Ayodhya after the 'pran pratistha' ceremony. "Lord Ram is 'Maryada Purushottam' and our life starts with the name of Ram. We would go to Ayodhya after the ‘pran pratistha’ ceremony," he told the media.

The chief minister's remarks came a day after Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh, the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and state party chief Pratibha Singh, said he would attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Vikramaditya thanked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) for the invitation to attend Ram Lalla’s ‘pran pratistha’ ceremony. "This is not a political issue and I consider myself fortunate to be among the few invitees from Himachal Pradesh and thanked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishva Hindu Parishad for giving this honour to me and my family," Singh said.