Sat Apr 05 19:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Ayodhya Gears Up for Grand Ram Navami Celebrations
**Ayodhya, India:** The holy city of Ayodhya is brimming with festive fervor as it prepares to celebrate Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Rama. Special arrangements have been made at the Ram Lalla temple, the birthplace of Lord Rama, for the auspicious occasion.
The highlight of the celebrations will be a unique “Surya Abhishek,” a four-minute ritual where the sun’s rays will bathe Ram Lalla’s image at precisely noon. This celestial event will be followed by a special “56 bhog” offering to the deity. Devotees will also receive a special prasad of *dhaniya mewa panjiri*. The temple will remain open for darshan (viewing) late into the night.
The day’s events begin at 4:30 AM with Mangala Aarti, followed by darshan from 6:30 AM. Unlike previous years, no VIP passes have been issued for Ram Navami this year. At 9:30 AM, a special one-hour abhishek will take place, using honey, milk, ghee, Sarayu water, and fragrant sandalwood. The temple will be briefly closed for five minutes after the abhishek to allow for special adornment of the deity, a process that will last for an hour. The temple doors will close at 11:45 AM for the 56 bhog offering.
The city is adorned with lights and decorations, with over 5,000 temples participating in the celebrations. Live telecasts of the Surya Abhishek will be shown on Doordarshan and streamed online, allowing devotees worldwide to participate in the event. Large LED screens have been set up across Ayodhya to facilitate viewing for the lakhs of devotees expected to visit the city. The Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex itself has been beautifully decorated. Various religious ceremonies, including a Ram Maha Yagna, are also underway across Ayodhya.
The event is expected to draw massive crowds and is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the city.
First Piper 