Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, archer Deepika Kumari, and folk singer Mukund Nayak are among the 16 distinguished individuals from Jharkhand who have been invited to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.
Senior RSS functionary Dhananjay Singh on Monday handed over the invitation to MS Dhoni at his residence in Ranchi. BJP organising secretary Karmaveer Singh was also present on the occasion.
Mr Singh told PTI: "We handed over the invitation card to him (Dhoni) on behalf of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22." Singh said that Dhoni and his family members expressed their happiness after receiving the invitation.
"As many as 16 distinguished personalities including senior BJP leader and Padma Bhusan Karia Munda, Padma Shri Mukund Nayak, Padma Shri archer Deepika Kumari, AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto have been invited for the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya," he said.
Mr Singh added that 69 people from the sage fraternity from Jharkhand have also been invited.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the temple on the day.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal during his Jharkhand visit on January 10 had said that around 7,000 people, including approximately 100 representatives from abroad, will attend the ceremony.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Air India Flight From Paris Diverted To Jaipur, Fliers Sent To Delhi On Bus Explained: Why Delhi's AQI Was 494 Today But International Monitor Said 1,600 Ukraine Hits Russia With Long-Range US Missile After Biden's Approval "Exposed": BJP Alleges Bitcoin Scam In Maharashtra Poll, Supriya Sule Reacts What Iraq Plans To Do For The 1st Time Since Saddam Hussein's Rule In 1987 Explained: What Is Thanksgiving And Why It Is Celebrated Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.