Ram Temple set to create history, once-in-a-lifetime moment for us: Head priest

Ayodhya, Dec 21 (IANS) The country is set to write a new chapter in its history with the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple here next month, which would not have been possible without the blessings of crores of Indians and the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Acharya Satyendra Das, the head priest of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, said on Thursday.Speaking to IANS, Satyendra Das, who’s elated to see his dream come true, said this moment is personally very emotional for him, as Ayodhya brims with activities all over for the mega event scheduled on January 22.“Some people have donated their lifetime’s earnings for the construction of Ram Temple. The power of Ram Lalla is the ultimate truth that binds us all together,” he added.Prime Minister Modi will preside over the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22 when the deity will be enthroned at the temple’s sanctum-sanctorum.Satyendra Das has been worshiping Lord Ram as a priest from about nine months before the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.“I still do not know where I received such an energy which helped me continue for so many years. Now, the Ram Temple is near completion and the entire world is waiting for it to open for the public,” he added.“The event of 1992 was a rare event. With Lord Ram’s blessings, the tough times got over and now, we are here, celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime moment for several generations,” said Satyendra Das.The selection of the Ram Lalla idol from among the three idols carved out for the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple will be done in the first week of January by the members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.About 4,000 seers have been invited to the event, including the heads of Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishnodevi temples.At present, more than 4,000 people are working at the site in shifts to complete various works, and out of this, 400 workers would be invited to the consecration ceremony.–IANSna/arm