Final Preparations Underway for Consecration of 18 Idols at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple on June 5
Preparations for the pran pratishtha (consecration) of 18 sacred idols in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple are in the final stages, according to officials from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The elaborate ceremony is scheduled for June 5 and will include rituals across 14 smaller temples within the grand temple complex.
Among these, six intricately sculpted Makrana marble idols destined for the Ram Darbar are set to arrive in Ayodhya on Thursday night. These include idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Bharat, Shatrughan, and Hanuman.
They will be installed in the garbhagriha (inner sanctum) on the temple’s first floor on Friday in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The pre-consecration rituals will begin on June 3, and will involve various Vedic ceremonies leading up to the main event on June 5. “The construction of the main temple is now complete, with only some mural work pending in the parkota (peripheral wall).
The consecration ceremony will include 14 temples—six within the parkota and others including the Ram Darbar and seven idols of sages and key figures from the Ramayana,” said Nripendra Mishra, Chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee.
According to sources, the idols of Ram and Sita, both six feet tall and seated on a throne, will be the focal point of the Ram Darbar. Lakshman and Hanuman will be placed near their feet, while Bharat and Shatrughan will be installed in a standing posture behind Ram and Sita.
Punit Pandey, son of Jaipur-based sculptor Satyanarayan Pandey, shared that his father is personally accompanying the idols to Ayodhya. Satyanarayan Pandey and his team are responsible for crafting the Ram Darbar idols as well as those for 12 other temples within the complex.
CM Yogi Adityanath is expected to arrive in Ayodhya on Friday to oversee the installation process and conduct a review meeting on the preparations for the grand ceremony.
In addition to the Ram Darbar, idols of revered sages and characters from the Ramayana—including Valmiki, Augustmuni, Ahilya, Shabari, Nishad Raj, Vashishtha, and Vishwamitra—will also be consecrated.
The six temples within the parkota that are scheduled for consecration are dedicated to Goddess Durga, Annapurna, Lord Shiva, Ganesha, Hanuman, and Surya (the Sun God).
The consecration ceremonies will follow age-old Vedic rituals, including jalavas (ritual bathing of idols), annavas (offering food), aushadhivas (application of medicinal herbs), and shayyavas (symbolic resting of the deities).
The Trust has announced that this ceremony will primarily focus on inviting saints, religious leaders, and spiritual figures who were unable to attend the first consecration ceremony held earlier.
The final list of invitees is yet to be confirmed and will be announced by Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
A Trust member emphasized that the event is intended purely as a religious celebration, not a political gathering.
Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi added, “As of now, all preparations are being managed by the Ram Temple Trust. We expect more clarity and details once the Chief Minister arrives on Friday.”
