Besides PM Modi, 50 VIPs including UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the event.
A temple to Lord Ram at Ayodhya will get started today with a ground-breaking ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other VIPs. The temple town has been lit up in resplendent purple and green. Huge CCTV screens dot the town, in which locals can follow the ceremony that will begin at noon.
A 40-kg silver brick, which will symbolize the beginning of the construction - is at the heart of today's ceremonies. Images released on Monday showed the proposed temple will be a grand three-storey stone structure with multiple turrets, pillars and domes. The temple will be 161 feet tall and almost double the size of what was originally planned, its architect said.
The guest list for the grand event has been severely trimmed in view of coronavirus. Besides PM Modi, 50 VIPs including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will attend the ceremony.
BJP veteran LK Advani -- who was the face of the movement to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya in the 1990's -- will attend the ceremony virutally. "Destiny made me perform a pivotal duty in the form of Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990 which helped galvanise aspirations, energies and passions of its countless participants," he said.
The dispute over the Ram Janambhoomi site was resolved last year, as the Supreme Court gave a go-ahead for a temple to be built by a specially appointed trust. The Centre was asked to give Muslims land elsewhere in Ayodhya for a mosque.
Here are the live updates on 'Bhoomi Pujan' ceremony at Ayodhya:
A policeman tries to get a devotee, who has reached Ayodhya from Rae Bareli with a huge flex saying 'Jai Shri Ram', to move from entry gate of the Hanuman Gadhi temple.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad shares the sketch from the original document of the Constitution of India showing Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman returning to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan.
New airport, swanky station - Ayodhya has blueprint ready for big upgrade
The Uttar Pradesh government has set a budget of more than Rs 500 crore for a number of development and beautification projects in Ayodhya, which the government plans to promote Ayodhya as a big religious tourism destination.
The government is expecting huge footfall by 2024, when the long-awaited Ram temple is expected to be completed.
The advance planning includes not only a new airport and railway station, but also an upgrade of the nearby highway and local tourist spots. (read full story
here)
Ram Mandir 'Bhoomi Pujan' live updates: What Ram Mandir will look like, all details here
The design of the planned Ram Temple in Ayodhya was released on Tuesday by the trust overseeing its construction.
A series of images showed a grand three-storey stone structure on a raised platform with multiple turrets, pillars and domes. The temple will be 161 feet tall and almost double the size of what was originally planned, according to its architect.
The interiors show a high dome with intricate carvings. (Read full story
here)
Ram mandir ceremony: Sanitisation being done at Hanuman Garhi temple, ahead of PM Modi's visit
Sanitisation being done at c temple, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit today. As soon as PM Modi reaches Ayodhya, he will first go to this temple as it is believed that before visiting Lord Ram one should pay respect to Lord Hanuman.
The priests of the temple are diheartened as they will not be able to meet PM Modi due to the protocols in place for coronavirus. "At the temple, all of us had made a lot of preparations to present a 'gada' (mace), mukut (crown), silver brick, stole and a turban to the Prime Minister. But, this will not be possible now due to COVID-19 rules. Our plan to give him the gifts is now cancelled," Mahant Raju Das of Hanuman Garhi temple told news agency PTI.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan Live Updates: Section 144 imposed in Karnataka's Kalaburagi ahead of Bhumi Pujan in Ayodhya
Section 144 has been imposed in Karantaka's Kalaburagi in the wake of "bhoomi pujan" at Ayodhya.
"Section 144 imposed in Kalaburagi City in the wake of bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya. Order will be in force from August 4, 3 pm to August 6 till 6 am," Police Commissioner, Kalaburagi City said.
The temple town has been lit up in resplendent purple and green. Huge CCTV screens dot the town, in which locals can follow the ceremony that will begin at noon.
For all yesterday's updates on preparations on Ayodhya ceremony, click
here
