As the temple is inaugurated, unfortunately for Advani but unsurprisingly for the rest of us, the architect of the party's rise will not lead the ceremony and claim credit for his achievement, notes Aakar Patel.
A huge contingent of police personnel, including a Rapid Action Force (RAF) team, was deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident.
Both Advani and Joshi said that they will make "every effort" to join the ceremony to be held on January 22, Kumar said in a statement.
Vedic rituals for the pran pratistha will begin in Ayodhya on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony on January 22.
After visiting Ayodhya for the pran prathishta ceremony at the Ram mandir in January, Amitabh Bachchan returned for another darshan.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified that he never stated he would retire or that others should retire at 75, addressing speculation following his recent remarks.
The Bharatiya Janata Party vs ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam battle over live telecast of the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration in Tamil Nadu shrines reached the Supreme Court on Monday, with the apex court asking the authorities to act in accordance with the law and not based on any oral instructions.
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.
The ancient Shiv Mandir is located at Bisrakh village, believed to be the birthplace of Ravana, the antagonist to the hero of Lord Ram in the epic Ramayana.
The deity and two others idols will be shifted to a temporary structure nearby till the planned construction of a Ram temple is completed on the site, allotted for it by the Supreme Court in a landmark verdict in November. The special prayers began amid restrictions forced upon the organisers by the coronavirus threat.
The first image of the new idol placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple with eyes covered with a cloth had surfaced on social media late Thursday night.
Rammu Guru, the head priest of the temple, said, "Sai Baba was being worshiped without proper knowledge, which is forbidden according to scriptures."
He also said that now everyone should listen to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's advice to shun habit of fighting on small disputes.
Family members alleged that it was a communal incident because the attackers were from another community, however, police denied that the dispute was on religious grounds.
The 'Pran Pratishtha' of the idol of Ram Lalla -- the childhood form of Lord Ram -- will be attended by people from all walks of life, including representatives of major spiritual and religious sects of the country and of various tribal communities and prominent personalities.
Gold and silver will be used in the design of the main doors of the temple.
"There was no water leakage but the rainwater came down from the pipes fixed to install electric wires," Mishra said.
Let us see what the cost is today for a two-day stay in the city and the air fare as train tickets are no longer available.
From the grounds of the Ram Janmabhoomi, the Rampath, Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com captures scenes from the celebrations.
'The Election Commission's involvement in the avoidable SIR controversy has carried a message down to the last voter -- who just does not like it,' observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'If you want a room for the consecration, then you better book it now.' 'By this time next week there won't be any hotel rooms available in the temple city.'
The source said decorative lights used for outer illumination are themed on diya, so as to give a traditional look and highlight the ornate elements of the temple.
"For us Ram temple is a matter of faith and not politics," Thackeray said.
This would be a 100 per cent jump over 2024, when the state had logged tourist inflow of 650 million
The government on Wednesday named nine out of 15 members of the 'Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra' trust constituted for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya as mandated by the Supreme Court. Here's all you need to know about the members of the trust who have been named so far.
The main road that leads from Sitapur Road side to the airport has been decked up with several posters carrying images of Prime Minister Modi, and a welcome message.
Members from the Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal too were part of the group, their participation seen as another indication that the party is all set to switch sides from the SP to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
People in large numbers participated in the India Day Parade held in New York, United States.
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.
Indian Olympic medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal reached Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to take part in the Ram Temple 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony to be held in Ayodhya on Monday and expressed their delight, saying that she feels fortunate to have come for the event.
The temple trust shared the incident, that took place on Tuesday night, on its official 'X' handle.
In addition to these temple models, metallic rings, lockets and other cloth items bearing Lord Ram's name are flying off the shelves in Ayodhya, according to shopkeepers.
Citing a Tamil daily's reportage, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday alleged that the Tamil Nadu government administered temples have barred puja for Lord Ram on the day of the consecration of the grand temple in Ayodhya, which was dismissed by the state as a false news with ulterior motives.
Thousands of Shiv Sainiks are expected to accompany Eknath Shinde on his visit to Ayodhya on Sunday, his first such visit after being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in June last year.
He also accused the Congress of questioning the existence of Ram, evoking a sharp reaction from the Opposition benches.
Besides, various representatives of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and their allies are also aiding in hand-delivering the invitations.
Bihar Education Minister Chandrashekhar reiterated that temples are the path to "mental slavery" while schools mean the path of light in life, extending support to party MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh whose similar statement drew the ire of a fringe outfit that announced a "reward" of Rs 10 lakh to cut off his tongue.
January 22, 2024 is not merely a date but marks the advent of a new era, PM Modi declared.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said Ram Rajya is coming and everyone in the country should shun disputes and stay united.
A magnificent Krishna Janambhoomi temple in Mathura was a recurrent theme for the ruling BJP in the run-up to the assembly polls, reports Nitin Kumar.
