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Coming out in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in less than a week, Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi borrowed a line from a recent article by BJP stalwart LK Advani to say that Lord Ram himself chose the former to preside over his ceremonial enthronement at the grand temple in Ayodhya.
Prime Minister Modi will preside over the ceremonial installation of the idol and throw the temple open to devotees on January 22. In a recent article for the 'Rhastra Dharma' magazine, Advani wrote that destiny chose PM Modi to enthrone Shri Ram Lalla in his rightful place on January 22. Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, the Union Minister also took a swipe at the Congress bigwigs for turning down the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, saying that they should be prepared to face some tough questions from the people over their decision. "They (Congress) must be prepared to face questions from the people. If they believe in Lord Ram as they claim to, why did they deprive a large section of our population of bank accounts and tap water connections for 70 years? What kind of government did they run in all the years they were in power? A new scam would come to light, literally, every day when they were in power," Lekhi told ANI. On the grand enthronement at the grand temple on January 22, the Union Minister said, "Lord Ram himself picked Prime Minister Modi to help him return to his birthplace after 500 years." According to temple officials, the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony will be held over seven days starting starting January 16. Thousands of VIP guests have received invitations from the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the ceremony. The Trust has made elaborate arrangements to welcome and honour all attendees, presenting them with gifts that include 'Ram Raj.' As part of the celebration, Teerth Kshetra Trust will also distribute special 'Motichoor laddus' made from desi ghee as 'Prasad' to the guests. A member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust shared that on his arrival to the temple town on January 22, Prime Minister Modi will be presented with a giant, 15-metre framed photo of the Ram temple enclosed in a jute bag featuring an image of the sacred structure. According to a Trust member, the revered Ram Raj soil excavated from the temple will be presented to the guests as a memento to savour. This sacred gift can not only be used in the front or back yards of homes but also be poured in flower pots, adding some divine grace to their households. Even those unable to attend the Pran Pratishtha program might be presented with this meaningful gift in future. A team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will perform the main rituals of the Pran Pratistha of Shri Ram Lalla on January 22. (ANI)
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