Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' ancestral village in Gujarat are celebrating her safe return to Earth with Diwali-like festivities. The village, Jhulasan, is alive with excitement and prayers for Williams' safe return after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station. A grand procession will be held in her honour, accompanied by prayer chanting and fireworks.
Invitees to the 'pran pratishtha' consecration ceremony at the Ram temple started arriving Sunday in Ayodhya -- once a sleepy town now resplendent with new infrastructure and gripped by heightened religious fervour on the eve of a seminal event in India's political and religious history.
The new idol of Lord Ram was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi temple on Thursday afternoon, ahead of the January 22 consecration ceremony.
Around five lakh devotees visited the Ram temple complex on day one as it opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, a day after the consecration ceremony, according to officials.
While main events throughout the country were organised on Sunday by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, several community members gathered at the iconic Times Square in New York to celebrate the historic event.
The much-awaited Ram temple consecration will be held in Ayodhya on Monday in a grand ceremony with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the rituals, following which the shrine will be opened for the public a day later.
Roads are being expanded, bridges are being built, hotels are springing up, and the crowds are pouring in. Bringing with them promise of unforeseen economic boom. Ayodhya, it seems, has opened up its heart, Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com discovers on his first day in the city.
A year ago, VHP international president Pravin Togadia had allegedly advised VHP members and other residents of that area to insult Muslims to make them vacate their properties in areas dominated by the majority community.
Two days after he was reportedly targeted by Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia for buying a home in a Hindu-dominated neighbourhood, Asghar Ali is untraceable.
'Every religion is sacred and beautiful. There's no reason for people to hate each other because they practise different faiths.'
By all yardsticks 2024 isn't expected to be like 2014 or 2019. But with the mandir expected to be ready in time for the next Lok Sabha polls, Modi will have a new ally in Ram to see him through, observes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
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