The consecration ceremony (‘Pran Pratishtha’) of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya’s temple will take place this afternoon in a grand ceremony with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the rituals, marking an end to a deeply polarising dispute that has dominated Independent India’s politics for over half a century.Representatives from major spiritual and religious sects, along with prominent personalities from diverse backgrounds, will attend the ceremony. Elaborate seating arrangements have also been made for 8,500 guests—which includes 4,000 saints and 3,000 distinguished attendees—in front of the main temple. Actors Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar are among the prominent people invited to the event.Lakhs of people are expected to watch the event live on TV and online platforms as the Centre has announced a half-day off on January 22, and many others followed suit.The ceremony will begin at 12.20 pm and is expected to end by 1 pm. Post-ceremony, PM Modi will address the gathering. The shrine will be opened to the public a day later.Almost all opposition leaders invited to the ceremony have declined to be in attendance, with the Congress calling it a “BJP-RSS event.”Turned into a national event by the BJP, the temple’s inauguration in Ayodhya is anticipated to have a profound impact on Hindu voters.
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