On Tuesday, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) extended an invitation to the venerable BJP leaders, LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, urging them to grace the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya scheduled for the upcoming month. Both Advani and Joshi played pivotal roles in the agitation advocating for the construction of the Ram temple.
Alok Kumar, a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, shared, "Invitations were extended to Lal Krishna Advani ji and Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi ji, the pioneers of the Ram Mandir movement, to attend the Pran Pratishtha program of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024. Both esteemed leaders expressed their commitment to make every effort to attend."
This development unfolded a day after the temple trust conveyed that, owing to health and age considerations, LK Advani (96) and Murli Manohar Joshi (89) were unlikely to be present at the consecration ceremony. Ram Temple Trust's general secretary, Champat Rai, mentioned, "Given their status as elder statesmen and taking into account their advanced age, they were advised not to attend, a suggestion that was graciously accepted by both leaders."
According to Rai, the meticulous preparations for the consecration ceremony are scheduled for completion by January 15, with the 'praan pratistha' puja set to commence from January 16 and extend until January 22.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to inaugurate the newly constructed temple on January 22, marking a historic moment in the culmination of efforts dedicated to the realization of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
