LK Advani and MM Joshi asked “not to come” to the opening ceremony of the Ram Temple

The temple trust said here on Monday that LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, two BJP senior leaders who spearheaded the campaign for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, had been “requested not to come” to Ayodhya for the temple’s consecration ceremony next month.

Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai told reporters, “Both are elders of the family, and considering their age, they were requested not to come, which was accepted by both,” according to PTI.
MM Joshi will be ninety-nine next month, while LK Advani is ninety-six.

Advani is a member of the BJP that was founded. He started the Ram Rath Yatra in 1990 in order to forward his party’s claim for the temple, traveling from Somnath, Gujarat, to Ayodhya. The BJP became the second-largest party behind the Congress in the national elections held the following year.

In the meanwhile, Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai provided further details on the inauguration event, stating that plans are well underway for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consecration ceremony on January 22.

He said that the preparations would be finished by January 15 and that the puja for “praan pratistha” will begin on January 16 and continue until January 22.

Rai said, “About 150 saints and sages as well as Shankaracharyas from six darshanas (old schools) will take part in the ceremony.”

He said that 2,200 more guests in addition to over 4,000 saints have been invited to the event.

According to him, invitees include heads of significant temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishno Devi as well as delegates from organizations related to religion and the constitution.

The function is being attended by a number of notable individuals, including the spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Mata Amritanandamayi of Kerala, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, movie stars Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Arun Govil, film director Madhur Bhandarkar, and prominent industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, renowned painter Vasudev Kamat, ISRO Director Nilesh Desai, and numerous other notable figures, according to Rai.

According to ceremonial customs, “Mandal puja” will take place after the consecration ceremony on January 24 and last for 48 days. On January 23, the temple will open to worshipers, he said.