PM Modi to visit Ram Setu's origin point in Tamil Nadu ahead of Pran Pratishtha ceremony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Arichal Munai point, the point from where the Ram Setu was built, on Sunday morning, a day ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the Ram Setu's origin point at 9:30 am.

At 10:15 am, PM Modi will perform puja at Sri Kothandarama Swamy temple. The name Kothandarama means Rama with the bow. It is located in Dhanushkodi. It is said that this is where Ravana's brother Vibhishana first met Lord Ram and asked him for refuge. Some legends also say that this is the place where Lord Ram conducted the coronation of Vibhishana.


Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister visited Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli and Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram in the southern state.

The 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's temple will take place on Monday.

Given the grand event, which would be attended by nearly 8,000 VIP guests Uttar Pradesh police force beefed up security in the temple town.

Additional Director General (ADG) Lucknow Zone Piyush Mordia said that patrolling on the Saryu River is being done through boats and drones are flying high for aerial surveillance.

"Our police force has arrived in Ayodhya for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. Our Police force, which was to come to Ayodhya, has arrived and has also been deployed. The entire police force was briefed together again today. Briefing and debriefing sessions are being conducted daily with officers. Drones which have been deployed in the entire district are also being used for aerial surveillance. Patrolling on the Saryu River is being undertaken through boats," the senior police officer said.

The idol of Lord Ram has been placed inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ayodhya. The idol of 'Ram Lalla' is carved by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. The idol is 51 inches tall and weighs 1.5 tonnes. The idol portrays Lord Ram as a five-year-old child standing on a lotus also crafted from the same stone.

A '56 bhog prasad' that would be offered to Ram Lalla 'first' after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony has also reached the city from Lucknow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the 'Pran Pratishtha'; a team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will lead the main rituals. Several celebrities and noted personalities have also been invited to the ceremony.