Ayodhya Ram Mandir: PM Modi to be invited for installation of idol in the temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to the installation of the idol of Lord Ram at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya between December and January, ahead of the temple’s grand opening in January 2024.

The Ram Mandir Trust, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, is currently in the process of drafting the formal invitation letter, sources told India Today. 

The letter, signed by the Trust Chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, will be addressed to the PM, requesting the PM to grace the occasion with his presence. It will request him to confirm his availability between December and January. The Trust is currently finalising the format of the letter.

The grand installation will be marked by a week full of festivities in Ayodhya. 

The Ram temple is set to open in January 2024. To facilitate the grand opening, as well as the flow of pilgrims to the temple from across India, the Uttar Pradesh government has expanded its airport and railway networks. 

Developments and constructions across the state have been ramped up. The work on road corridors in the state has been sped up, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adithyanath himself overlooking the projects, sources reported. Special attention has been given to the road corridors that facilitate the movement of devotees to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi and the Hanuman Garhi temple.

"The idol of Ram Lalla may be installed in the temple by December and it may be inaugurated by January 2024," Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Nyas general secretary Champat Rai said.

"The temple trust has not yet discussed the dates. However, construction of the temple is going on fast and its inauguration can be done any time from December 31 to January 15," he added.