Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced on Thursday that all government offices will remain closed on January 22 till 2:30 pm, given the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Chief Minister Sai told ANI, "All government offices will remain closed till 2:30 pm on January 22 given the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The purpose behind this is that all the people can see the programme and participate in it..."
Meanwhile, the idol of Lord Ram was placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ram Temple, Ayodhya, on Thursday.
Covered with a veil, the first photo of the idol was revealed during the placement ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday.
The photos were shared by Sharad Sharma, media in-charge of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Vedic Brahmins and revered Acharyas were seen leading worship ceremonies inside the sacred precincts of the Sri Ram Temple.
According to the VHP, members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra also participated in the prayers.
The idol of 'Ram Lalla' was carved by Arun Yogiraj - a famed sculptor from Karnataka. The idol is 51 inches tall and weighs 1.5 tonnes. The idol portrays Lord Ram as a five-year-old child standing on a lotus also crafted from the same stone.
The Pran Pratishta ceremony will be held in Ayodhya on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the 'Pran Pratishtha', however, a team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will perform the main rituals.
Several celebrities and noted personalities have also been invited to the ceremony.
There will be Amrit Mahotsav in Ayodhya from January 14 to January 22.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
