Ayodhya, August 3: As the day for Ram Mandir Bhoomi Poojan nears, all arrangements are in full swing in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. The foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will take place on August 5. Several national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat among others will grace the occasion. The security arrangements for the foundation stone-laying ceremony have been put in place and people are being requested to refrain from gathering at a place. Ram Temple 'Bhoomi Pujan' Invitation Card First Look: Invite For Mega Ayodhya Event Mentions Names of PM Narendra Modi, 4 Others; See Pics.

The countdown for the grand ceremony of 'Bhoomi Pujan' for the construction of the Ram temple has now begun. The local administration has been asked to implement strict safety protocols. Adityanath on Monday visited Ayodhya to review preparations for Ram temple ‘Bhoomi Pujan'. The Chief Minister reached Ayodhya in the afternoon and visited the Ram Janmabhoomi site where the Bhoomi Pujan is to be held.

Here are 10 Points You Should Know:

  1. The rituals preceding the 'Bhoomi Poojan' of the Ram temple began in Ayodhya on Monday with an elaborate 'Gauri Ganesh' puja. The three-day rituals will culminate with the 'bhumi pujan' that will be performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, August 5.

  2. General Secretary of Trust Champat Rai said that 175 people have been invited for Bhumi Pujan. All invitation cards will have a security code which will  work only once. So once entered person will have to remain inside.

  3. The invite for the grand event was unveiled on Monday and it had on it the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and three more people.

  4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reach Ayodhya at around 12.30 pm on August 5 and he is likely to stay there for around three hours.

  5. PM Modi will first offer prayers at Hanuman Garhi and then visit the pre-fabricated temple at Manas Bhawan where the idol of Lord Ram is presently kept. He will then proceed to the Ram Janmabhoomi site for the 'bhumi pujan'.

  6. In Ayodhya, cleanliness and sanitisation drives are underway ahead of the foundation laying ceremony on Wednesday.

  7. Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, has been sent to home quarantine after his assistant Pradeep Das tested positive for COVID-19 three days back, a report by IANS informed. Das, said, "As one of my assistants, Pradeep Das, tested Covid positive on July 30, the trust has asked me not to enter Ram temple premises for three days. I will not be performing 'bhumi pujan' as other priests have been engaged for that ceremony."

  8. All houses and buildings on the main streets from Tedhi Bazar to Naya Ghat in Ayodhya, from where the convoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pass on August 5, are being painted yellow for the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony.

  9. Mayor of Ayodhya Rishikesh Upadhyay said that this was done to recreate the look of 'treta yuga', when Lord Ram ruled Ayodhya. The official added that over 1 lakh earthen lamps will light up the holy city from August 3 to 5.

  10. According to reports, Betel leaves made of silver will be among the things which will be used in the groundbreaking ceremony. They have been sent to Ayodhya by the members of the Chaurasiya community from Varanasi.

In the last months, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, which had initially decided to invite only 200 people for the ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, planned to invite more saints for 'bhumi pujan'. Reports informed that the proposal to put up an exhibition at Ram Janmabhoomi detailing the life journey of Lord Ram has been shelved and that space will be used to make seating arrangements for around 600 more saints.

In November 2019, a five-judge Supreme Court bench headed by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, in a unanimous judgment, granted the disputed land to Hindus for the construction of the Ram temple.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 03, 2020 05:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).