Watch the video of Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Ram Lalla Idol Placed Inside the Sanctum Sanctorum

With the aid of a crane, the Ram Lalla statue was moved inside the Ayodhya Ram temple premises Friday night. Early on Thursday morning, the idol was carried inside the sanctum sanctorum where it would be placed later in the day.

Using a crane, the idol of the god was brought inside after a unique puja was performed in the sanctum sanctorum.

According to a PTI story, Nripendra Mishra, the head of the Shri Ram Mandir Construction Committee, had previously said that the idol will probably be placed in the sanctum sanctorum on Thursday.

Yesterday, when Lord Ram’s idol arrived at Ayodhya in a vehicle decked up with flowers, preparations were under way. The idol was carried inside while “Jai Shri Ram” chanting were heard.

The Ayodhya Temple trust chose the 51-inch-tall statue, which was sculpted by Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru, for the pran pratishtha at the temple.

Yogiraj carved the idol using a black stone from Karnataka called a Krishna Shila. Experts have said that Krishna Shila, which is located in the vicinity of Karkala, a tiny village in Karnataka, is used to create the most beautiful and long-lasting sculptures.

“Arun’s idol depicts a balswaroop (infant) Ram, a five-year-old, standing on a lotus, carrying a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other,” a temple trust official said. In addition, the statue has exquisite patterns and craftsmanship. The statue, which stands 51 inches tall, is engraved with all of the markings associated with Lord Ram. It’s the best job that has ever been accomplished.

Another official had said, “The stone, weighing 10 tonnes, was specially brought from Nellikaru village in Karkala, almost a month ago. It was 6 feet wide, 4 feet thick, and almost one foot long.”

The ritual known as pran pratishtha is slated to occur on January 22 at 12:20 p.m. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit in Ayodhya on January 21 and will preside over the event with Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Mohan Bhagwat, the president of the Rashtriya Swayambhīt.

The temple trust has invited around 7,000 guests to the event, including Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, businessmen Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, and cricket greats Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.