Das served as the head priest since he was 20 years old, including during the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.
'SIT means nothing because the BJP government of Uttar Pradesh and Ram Janmabhoomi Trust are the same people.'
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the BJP, asserting that Ayodhya will be their "Lanka" due to alleged corruption in Ram Temple donations. He also linked the issue to the NEET controversy, suggesting a wider pattern of malfeasance and predicting internal strife within the ruling party.
The construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple is targeted for completion by October 2025.
He said he would offer worship at the Ram temple only when the "shikhar" (topmost part) of the structure is fully constructed.
The flag will rise atop a 'shikhar' constructed in the traditional North Indian Nagara architectural style, while the surrounding 800-metre Parkota, a circumambulatory enclosure built around the temple, designed in the South Indian architectural tradition, showcases the temple's architectural diversity, it said.
This was President Murmu's first visit to Ayodhya since the Ram temple's consecration ceremony on January 22, 2024.
The BJP's Murshidabad unit in West Bengal announced plans to construct a Ram temple in Berhampore, days after TMC MLA Humayun Kabir proposed to set up a mosque modeled after the Babri Masjid in Beldanga. The temple construction, estimated to cost Rs 10 crore, is expected to begin on January 22, 2025, one year after the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Kabir's announcement sparked political controversy, with opposition parties accusing him of attempting to polarise communities for political gain. The BJP's counterproposal is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its presence among the Hindu community in Murshidabad.
Narendra Modi has proved through execution of this event in Ayodhya that amongst all his contemporaries in politics he knows ordinary Indians like none other, notes Sheela Bhatt.
Mishra cited a shortage of around 200 workers and the need to replace certain stones on the temple's first floor as primary reasons for the delay.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has appealed to devotees from nearby areas to postpone their visit to Ayodhya for 15-20 days, citing the large number of devotees flocking to the town since January 26. The trust said this will allow devotees from distant places to have an easier darshan experience. The appeal comes as Ayodhya has witnessed a footfall of around 40 lakh devotees since Monday, choking the roads and bylanes leading to the Ram Temple with huge traffic snarls.
Modi believes that the Congress leadership does not have the political sagacity to undertake a course correction because of its preoccupation about not losing its current gains in the voter base, observes Shekhar Iyer.
A month ahead of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an on-site inspection of the under construction shrine.
Rediff.com's Rajesh Karkera and Saisuresh Sivaswamy capture glimpses of the Ram temple during their visit to the shrine on Monday evening.
A flag-hoisting ceremony is planned for the Ram temple in Ayodhya in November, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely to be the chief guest. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has shortlisted two dates in November for the event, with preparations gaining momentum.
The 86-year-old Mahant was undergoing treatment in Gwalior for the last few days, and was brought to the Medanta Hospital after his condition showed no improvement.
This was Murmu's first visit to Ayodhya since the newly-built Ram temple's consecration ceremony was held on January 22.
The stamps are not merely a piece of paper or artwork but they are a miniature form of epics and great ideas, he said in a video message.
The Ayodhya municipal corporation is grappling with a unique problem: a massive pile of abandoned footwear left behind by devotees at the Ram temple. This issue has arisen due to a change in crowd management measures, leading to a long journey to retrieve shoes for many visitors, causing them to leave the temple barefoot.
After visiting Ayodhya for the pran prathishta ceremony at the Ram mandir in January, Amitabh Bachchan returned for another darshan.
He is the fourth men's cricketer to be invited for the ceremony after Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani has said the Ram Janmbhoomi movement, whose primary objective was construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, also became a symbol of 'reclaiming the true meaning of secularism from the onslaught of pseudo-secularism'.
The film folk turned out in traditional outfits for the pran pratishtha at the temple.
Taken from the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite hovering over space, the image shared by ISRO on Sunday shows the grand new temple which will be inaugurated on January 22.
A war of words has erupted in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh after the Congress objected to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party putting up hoardings taking credit for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Shatrughan Vishwakarma was deployed as part of the Special Security Force (SSF) set to provide security at the temple premises.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has announced the completion of all construction work on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, including the main shrine. The announcement comes ahead of a possible visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The BJP enters challenging times where it has been given a task to hold onto the values of Ram in running the country as defined by Narendra Modi in Ayodhya, notes Sheela Bhatt.
The Communist party of India-Marxist said on Tuesday while underlining its belief that religion is a personal choice.
"There was no water leakage but the rainwater came down from the pipes fixed to install electric wires," Mishra said.
The Kalaram temple, located in Panchavati area of Nashik, is dedicated to Lord Ram.
He also accused the Congress of questioning the existence of Ram, evoking a sharp reaction from the Opposition benches.
Destiny had decided that a grand temple of Lord Ram will be built in Ayodhya and it chose Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this, BJP stalwart L K Advani has said in an article to be published in a special edition of the Rashtra Dharma magazine next week.
Alleging negligence in the construction of the temple, Das claimed that there was also no arrangement for the drainage of rainwater from the temple premises after the showers on Saturday midnight.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented gifts from Sri Ranganath Swamy temple in Tiruchirapalli to the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Reacting to the remarks made by Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray that he has not received invitation for the inauguration event of Ayodhya's Ram Temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple on Sunday said that invitations have been extended only to those who are 'devotees of Lord Ram'.
The complex will be atmanirbhar in its own way as it will have two sewerage treatment plants, one water treatment plant and a dedicated line from powerhouse, he said.
Alok Kumar said that all the required medical facilities and other arrangements will be provided to Advani during his visit to the Pran Pratistha ceremony in Ayodhya.
A fatal road accident on Delhi's Rajokari flyover resulted in one death and five injuries, including three children, after a Toyota Innova allegedly rammed into a tempo. The Innova driver has been apprehended, with initial assessments suggesting he was under the influence of alcohol. Police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.
BJP sources suggest that the upcoming elections will likely revolve around the renewed enthusiasm for the temple unless another theme with religious and nationalist undertones emerges.
