Ram Temple inauguration: Half-day in all central government offices on Jan 22

All central government offices will be closed for half day on January 22 on the occasion of the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday, news agency PTI reported. The minister told the news agency that the decision on the half-day closure of the office has been taken in view of the overwhelming sentiments.

“The Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya will be celebrated on 22nd January 2024 across India. To enable employees to participate in the celebrations, it has been decided that all central government offices, central institutions and central industrial establishments throughout India will be closed for half day till 1430 hours on 22nd January 2024,” the order issued to all central government ministries/ departments read.

At 12.30pm on January 22, the pran-pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other dignitaries from all walks of life. The ceremonies began at the Ayodhya temple complex on January 16, seven days before the D-day. Specific rituals are being performed every day ahead of the pran-pratishtha.

The Bar Council of India on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and requested him to grant a holiday on January 22. “As you are aware, the inauguration of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is scheduled for January 22, 2024. This event holds immense religious, historical, and cultural significance for millions of people across the country, marking the realization of a long-awaited dream and the culmination of legal proceedings that have been pivotal in defining the nation’s structure,” Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra wrote in his letter.

PM Modi on Thursday released commemorative postage stamps on the Ram Temple depicting the history and historical moments around the opening of the Ram Temple.

The idol of Lord Ram arrived at the temple complex on Wednesday night — the second day of the pre-consecration rituals. It has been kept inside the sanctum sanctorum but not installed yet. On Thursday, the third day of the rituals, the idol is supposed to be cleansed with water as part of the ‘Jaladhivas’ ritual and ‘Ganesh Pujan’ and ‘Varun Pujan’ will be held.