Ram mandir consecration: Ayodhya's 'Ram Lalla' to be known by this name

Ram mandir consecration: Thousands of guests and devotees flocked to Uttar Pradesh's temple town, Ayodhya for the inauguration ceremony on Monday

Following the consecration of the 'Ram Lalla' idol in Ayodhya's Ram mandir on Monday, it has been decided to call the Hindu deity as "Balak (boy) Ram" to reflect his five-year-old form in the temple.

"The idol of Lord Ram, whose consecration was done on January 22, has been named as 'Balak Ram'. The reason for naming the idol of Lord Ram as 'Balak Ram' is that he resembles a child, whose age is five years," Arun Dixit, a priest associated with the consecration ceremony, said.

Arun Yogiraj's sculpture chosen to be 'Ram Lalla'

Crafted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, the 51-inch idol is sculpted from a three-billion-year-old rock—azure-coloured Krishna Shile (black schist). This rock was excavated from Gujjegowdanapura at Jayapura Hobli in HD Kote Taluk of Mysuru. It is a fine-to-medium-grained, sky-blue metamorphic rock known as soapstone.

 

Thousands of invited guests and devotees flocked to Uttar Pradesh's temple town on Monday to catch a glimpse of the revered Hindu deity, who is the central figure of the epic mythology 'Ramayana'. 'Ram dhun' echoed across the town, which was decked up with flowers and lights to welcome the "arrival" of the deity.

Who were present during the Ram mandir consecration ceremony

The temple was inaugurated in a sacred ceremony led by temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das, with the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, and UP Governor Anandiben Patel. Built to last 1,000 years, the temple is built in the traditional 'Nagara' style and possesses many unique features.

Nearly 8,000 guests, including prominent dignitaries such as Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Ambani, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Sonu Nigam, A.R. Rahman, Sachin Tendulkar among others were spotted at the event.

Following the consecration, Modi also addressed the gathering of invitees and termed the "historic moment" as the "beginning of a new era" for India.

(With agency inputs)