 was inaugurated in January. Devotees were able to see the idol of Ram Lalla for the first time.){kind=link}
This year’s Ram Navami festival on April 17th will be extra special in Ayodhya. This is because the newly built Ram Mandir (Ram Temple) was inaugurated in January. Devotees were able to see the idol of Ram Lalla for the first time.
For Ram Navami, the Ram Temple will receive a massive offering of 1,11,111 kilograms of laddoos (sweet balls made of flour, sugar and ghee). The Devraha Hans Baba Trust is sending these laddoos as prasad (holy offering) on April 17th. They had previously sent 40,000 kg of laddoos for the temple’s inauguration ceremony on January 22nd.
Atul Kumar Saxena from the Devraha Hans Baba Trust said it’s a custom to offer laddoos at major temples like Tirupati Balaji and Kashi Vishwanath.
Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest, said the temple trust has made all preparations to celebrate Ram Lalla’s first Ram Navami at the new temple. “This time is special as it’s after the main consecration ritual. The trust is decorating and it will be celebrated with great joy,” he said.
Extended Timings and Other Details
The authorities have extended the temple’s opening hours till 11 pm on Ram Navami day. Devotees can have darshan (glimpse of the deity) and witness various rituals like aarti, abhishek and shringar continuously from 3:30 am onwards.
The temple administration stated that on April 16th-19th, no separate passes for VIP/special darshan or for witnessing particular rituals will be issued. Prasad will be distributed after the evening aarti, so devotees should keep prohibited items like phones and bags away from the temple premises.
In summary, this Ram Navami marks the first grand celebration at the newly built Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya after its inauguration earlier this year. The festive spirit and devotional activities are expected to be magnificent.