Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha Date

 

Pran Pratishtha is a sacred ceremony in which Vedic ceremonies and mantras defined by the Agam Shastras are performed to bring or incorporate a deity into an idol or statue to make it sacred or divine.

It is done on the day of the inauguration of a new temple or mandir. The term 'Pran' means 'life' and 'Pratishtha' means 'establishment'. Therefore, 'Pran Pratishtha means 'establishing the life force' or 'bringing deity to life'.

The Ayodhya Ram temple is scheduled to host Pran Pratishtha on January 22, 2024, and it will open to pilgrims on January 24.

Significance of Pran Pratishtha

Once the idol is created, it is purified in the artisan's workplace itself, and this process is known as Karmakutir. The ritual involves touching the entire idol with Durva grass so that evil influences or negative energies can be removed from the statue. Then the artisan applies a thin layer of ghee and honey over the eyes. Next, a Priest performs 200 ahutis (oblations) or homas while chanting mantras, and then a nada-chhadi is tied to the right wrist of the murti before it leaves the workshop.

The idol is then moved to the yagna mandap, where the murti is submerged in water and yagna is performed. This is to see whether there are any defects or khandit (damage) on the murti. Next, panchamrit is put into a container holding the murti and other lucky objects for pooja. For additional cleansing, the vessel is then covered with a cloth and Agni mantras are repeated. After that, the cloth is taken off, and a bell is rung to rouse the murti. After that, the murti is taken out and the vase is dried off.

Once Jaladhivas is finished, the floor is covered with a layer of dhanya, which is grains or pulses. The idol is then placed on the layer of dhanya and covered entirely with rice or grain. The objective of this procedure is to further cleanse the idol.

Since cow's ghee is highly pure in Hinduism, the idol is immersed in it. But in certain places, if the idol is really large and the entire murti cannot be immersed in ghee, cotton is soaked or dipped in ghee and then placed on the idol's feet. After that, the idol is set atop a wooden stand.

This ritual is also known as Abhishek and it involves bathing a murti in milk and water, which is believed to be a form of purification, it involves 108 different types of auspicious materials such as panchamrit, water infused with fragrant flowers and leaves, water which has been poured over the horns of a cow, and juice of sugarcane. Apart from that, one Dravya is placed in each pot in three Vedic (groups): the Dakshin (south) group has eleven pots; the Madhya (middle) group has eleven pots; and the remaining pots are in the Uttar (north) group. Special mantras are chanted as well.

This step involves the artisan who sculpted the idol. The individual holds a mirror in front of the idol's face and looks at the idol's eyes indirectly by seeing the reflection in the mirror. The layer of ghee and honey is then replaced with a gold needle or shalaka. This is known as Netra-anavaran. The reason for using a mirror is because the murti's eyes are opened and it is said to be immensely powerful which should not fall on human eyes. Also, food is arranged for the murti before the ritual.

After the murti or idol is wiped dry, it is laid on a new mattress with food and a pot of water for one night's rest. At night, through Ahawan mantras, the Goddess of Sleep Nidra Devi is involved and 10 priests perform 200 homas throughout the night in the form of yagna, away from the sleeping murti. They offer ahuti of cow's ghee in eight auspicious directions and then a drop of ghee is placed in a pot of water. The next day morning, water is sprinkled from this pot on the sleeping murti to awaken it and simultaneously uttishtha mantras are also chanted. Then the idol is carried to garbha gruh (inner sanctum) from the yagna mandap and placed on a pedestal. While the mangalashtak mantra is chanted, a mason cements the idol to the pindika. After the cement has dried, priests enter the garbha gruh to perform the murti prãna pratishtha.

Once the idol is purified, it becomes ready to become the home of the deity or the divine soul. There are specific rules mentioned in Vaihãyasi Samhita (9/28-84, 90) of the Panchratra Agam Shastras which says Pran Pratishtha is to be done by a very specific person. "One in whose every organ Paramatma resides fully, that pure Mahapurush is eligible to perform prãna pratishtha, because it is only, he who can invoke Paramatma within his heart into the murti', mentions the sacred text. Then Nyasvidhi is performed which is the first step of Pran Pratishtha and it means touching. It is said to invoke numerous deities such as Brahma, Surya, Indra, and others in different parts of the idol. Then the deities bij mantra is chanted and durva grass and golden needle are waved across the murti. This is how the Paramatma, or the divine soul is invoked and infused in the murti.