Hours After PM Modi’s Lockdown Announcement, UP CM Yogi & 50 People Shift Ram Lalla Idol

CM Yogi Adityanath offered special prayers after the idol of Ram Lalla was placed on a 9.5-kg silver throne in the new structure.

Uttar Pradesh| Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in an early morning ritual in Ayodhya, less than 12 hours after PM Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown.

The ritual involved shifting the idol of Lord Ram to a temporary structure made of fibre from a tin shed inside the Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace).

While it was reported that the ceremony could have been deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yogi Adityanath chose to go ahead with it anyway, with at least 20 people attending the ritual.

Visuals showed the CM offering prayers along with many prominent saints from the town along with senior government officials including Ayodhya’s district magistrate and the police chief.

Taking to Twitter, the Chief Minister wrote, “Ayodhya invites … The first phase of the construction of the grand Ram temple was completed today, Maryada Purushottam Prabhu Sri Rama Tripala has been seated on a new pedestal. The idol of ‘Ramlalla’ was moved from the temporary structure near Manas Bhawan. Presented a check of ₹ 11 lakh for the construction of the grand temple.”

अयोध्या करती है आह्वान…

भव्य राम मंदिर के निर्माण का पहला चरण आज सम्पन्न हुआ, मर्यादा पुरुषोत्तम प्रभु श्री राम त्रिपाल से नए आसन पर विराजमान…

मानस भवन के पास एक अस्थायी ढांचे में 'रामलला' की मूर्ति को स्थानांतरित किया।

भव्य मंदिर के निर्माण हेतु ₹11 लाख का चेक भेंट किया। pic.twitter.com/PWiAX8BQRR

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) March 25, 2020

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The Quint spoke to Mahant Satendra Das, head priest of the Ram Temple, who was present himself at the ceremonies. He said “There were two poojas. The first started around 4:15 am, where the Ram lalla who had been kept in a temporary structure, was moved by the chief minister himself to the new structure. It ended around 7:00 am. The chief minister was in attendance and at least 50-60 people. This included the district magistrate, prominent saints, security officials, members of the CM’s team, media persons and others.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second address in a week on coronavirus crisis to the nation on Tuesday announced a 21 days strict complete lockdown in the entire nation, starting from midnight.

PM Modi further said it is in a way a curfew and would be more stringent that Janata Curfew.

“Forget about leaving home in the next 21 days. If you cross the Lakshman Rekha, you will invite the virus home,” PM warned citizens.

Showing a banner in which a message was encrypted in Hindi defining Corona as ‘Koi Road pe Na Nikale’ (No one should come out on streets), he said we really need to follow this message with full enthusiasm.

“If we are not able to manage the upcoming 21 days, we will be pushed back 21 years,” PM Modi added.