Ram Mandir: Indian-Americans to celebrate occasion across US temples, Sony to showcase Ramayan in Times Square

Ram Mandir consecration: The excitement for the Ram Mandir inauguration is not only gripping India but also travelling all the way to the United States where Indian Americans are gearing up to celebrate the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya next week, with thousands of them likely to attend a series of events kick starting this week. According to an official, the consecration ceremony will bring immense joy to millions of Hindus across the world.

“Ayodhya is re-emerging from destruction and neglect, epitomising the eternal nature of Sanātana Dharma. The upcoming consecration at Ram Lalla Mandir after 550 years is bringing immense joy to the city and nearly a billion Hindus across the world,” Kalyan Viswanathan, president of the Hindu University of America said in a blog post.

Ram Mandir will be inaugurated on January 22. To commemorate the occasion, Sony is showcasing Srimad Ramayana at iconic Times Square in New York on January 21.

What did the Indian Americans say on the event?

The consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s temple at Ayodhya Dham, being constructed after a wait of 500 years, marks an important day of faith and celebration for Hindus worldwide said Kapil Sharma from the Shri Sita Ram Foundation in Texas, which has organised Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Pran Pratishtha celebration at its temple in Houston.

The celebrations will kickstart with the recitation of Sundarkand, which will be followed by cultural programmes of dance, singing, and music.

A havan will be performed on the occasion followed by Lord Ram’s Pattabhishek, culminating in a procession of Lord Ram and prasad (food) distribution.

“We are also honoured to distribute prasad and raj (holy dust) from Ayodhya Dham, which is being flown in especially for our event,” Sharma said.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is scheduled to attend a Ram Mandir celebration event in a suburb of Washington DC on Saturday.

Amitabh Mittal from Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, the organisation which is leading the nationwide festivities in the United States, said, “The long-awaited dream of millions of followers of Lord Sri Rama is about to become a reality”.

There are nearly 1,000 temples in the United States, and celebrations are benign held on almost all of them, beginning this weekend, to commemorate the historic occasion.

Car rally to be organised

Washington DC united of VHPA has organised a car rally, love dhole tashe, Shri Ram Puja along with dazzling cultural performances at a high school in the Maryland suburb of the national capital.

Car rallies will be held in over 20 cities with the largest one being in the Bay Area, California, where more than 600 cars are expected to participate.

“The devotees of Lord Rama will hold a car rally in the San Francisco area to mark the occasion, the rally will be accompanied by images of Lord Rama on digital mobile trucks and melodious hymns about him,” Deepti Mahajan said.

VHP-America has also rented outdoor spaces in various parts of the country to display the Ram temple consecration ceremony on big billboards in cities like Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ | Ram Mandir LIVE Updates: First image of Ram Lalla comes to fore as Ayodhya set for ‘pran pratishtha’

ALSO READ | Ram Mandir consecration: What is the significance of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony? | EXPLAINED