Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha Ceremony: Visit CNN-News18’s YouTube page for live visuals

The country is counting down to the historic consecration or ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Celebrations have been planned at important temples and religious sites across India, while local events are also being organized at the community level. Events have been planned to mark the occasion not only in India, but also by the Indian diaspora abroad.

Watch CNN-News18’s YouTube page on January 22, which will serve as a one-stop shop for you to witness this momentous occasion. With a wide team of journalists on the ground in Ayodhya, CNN-News18’s YouTube page will give you minute-by-minute information from the temple town.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22, which is expected to be opened to the public the next day. Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai had told reporters that the consecration ceremony would begin at 12:20 pm and is expected to be completed by 1 pm. The rituals related to the consecration ceremony have already started at the temple.

The first image of the new Ram Lalla statue became public on Friday as anticipation grew for the consecration ceremony. According to the picture released by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the eyes of this statue made of black stone obtained from Karnataka are covered with a piece of yellow cloth and decorated with a garland of roses. Ram Lalla, Bal Ram, is in standing posture.

The new 51-inch idol, created by Mysore-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple on Thursday afternoon, having been brought on a truck the previous night. The rituals at the temple started at 8:30 am on Friday and continued till 3:30 pm.