Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha (Inauguration), 22 Jan 2024 : Astrological Significance of this Date

January 22, 2024

- It will be only 84 seconds long, from 12:29 to 12:30, followed by a grand worship ceremony and aarti.

According to the Hindu Panchang, January 22, 2024, is the twelfth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Poush. On this day, the Nakshatra is Mrigashira, and the Yoga is Brahma, lasting until 8:47 in the morning. Three auspicious Yogas are forming on this day - Abhijit Muhurta, Sarvarth Siddhi Yoga, Amrit Siddhi Yoga, followed by the creation of Indra Yoga.

According to our astrologers, the day of January 22, 2024, is an extremely auspicious time for karma (actions). On this day, the worship of Lord Vishnu is performed because Vishnu incarnated as a tortoise and took the form of a tortoise to assist in the churning of the ocean. It is said that Lord Shri Ram incarnated as Lord Vishnu, hence, this auspicious day was chosen for the inauguration of the Ram Temple.

On this day, the festival will commence with a ceremonial procession of the Sarayu river, and on the first day of the festival, the idol will be taken on a city tour.

After the worship of Lord Ganesha, the celebration of the consecration (Pran Pratishtha) will begin.

After the consecration process, there will be a ceremony for entering the mandap, Vastu Puja, and Varun Puja on this auspicious day.

From this day onwards, after preparing the Vedic fire pit for the sacrificial fire in the Ram Temple, the Vedic mantras will be recited, and the sacred fire will be lit.

On this day, the inner sanctum of the Ram Temple will be filled with water from 81 rivers, collected in kalashas, brought from jails in a ritualistic manner.

On this day, Lord Rama's ceremonial bath (snan) and a yajna will take place.

On this auspicious day, an consecration ceremony (abhishek) will be performed, and a large number of devotees will come to witness the darshan of Lord Rama.

In our Hindu religion, Pran Pratishtha holds significance, and the process of consecration is performed before the installation of the deity or idol. Scholars believe that the procedure of Pran Pratishtha should be followed before establishing any deity at any auspicious moment. The term "Pran" signifies life force, and "Pratishtha" means establishment, implying the establishment of the life force.

Our scholars believe that any idol is not considered worthy of worship until it undergoes the Pran Pratishtha. Through the process of Pran Pratishtha, by infusing the life force into the idol, it is transformed into the form of a deity, making it eligible for worship. Following this procedure, the worship of deities, recitation of mantras, and rituals are performed.

Initially, the idol (murti) is bathed with water from the Ganges and 81 rivers. Subsequently, after cleaning the idol with clean clothing, it is adorned with new garments. After placing the idol in a clean space, it is decorated with sandalwood paste, and the consecration is performed with the chanting of seed mantras. Following this, the worship of Lord Rama takes place according to the prescribed rituals, and finally, after the aarti and archana, the prasad is distributed.

Due to the sacred land of Ayodhya being the birthplace of Lord Rama, this temple holds its significance, and Lord Rama is enshrined in the form of Ram Lalla. The Ram Temple is considered a symbol of faith and devotion for Hindus. It is believed that the evidence of the existence of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was obtained, and with the scientific validation, the faith and devotion to this temple strengthened. After years of struggles, Hindus obtained the right to the Ram Janmabhoomi.

Through our religious scriptures, it is known that around 100 BCE, Emperor Vikramaditya had the construction of a massive temple, which was later destroyed by the Mughals in the 15th century to build a mosque, known as Babri Masjid. After India gained independence in 1947, disputes and conflicts re-emerged, leading to protests by Hindus to reclaim their site. Then, on December 6, 1992, the temple was demolished, sparking a legal battle that continued for 27 years. In 2019, following the scientific validation, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Hindu community, allowing the construction of the Shri Ram Temple to commence.