Ram Mandir ‘Pran Pratishtha’: As a gesture of communal harmony, the Sikh community will organise a three-day ‘Akhand Path’ at Gurdwara Brahm Kund Sahib in Ayodhya ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of the Ram Temple. The ‘Akhand Path’ at Gurdwara Brahmkund Sahib, will start on January 19 and culminate on January 21.
BJP national spokesperson RP Singh said, “Sikhs from across the country will come to Ayodhya for a three-day ‘Akhand Path’ at Gurdwara Brahmkund Sahib, starting on January 19 and culminating on January 21. It will be held for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ so that it goes off smoothly.” He further said that the histories of Ram Temple and Sikhs are interlinked.
“Before the Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple, we did organise ‘Akhand Path’ at the same Gurdwara in Ayodhya. Sikhs from Surat, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Amritsar and Delhi participated and prayed for the construction of Ram temple. This ‘Akhand Path’ is for ‘Pran Pratishtha’. This is a path of shukrana (thanksgiving). It will be held for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ so that it goes off smoothly,” he added.
What is Akhand Path?
‘Akhand Path’ refers to the continuous, uninterrupted recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism. This practice is a significant religious observance in the Sikh faith. The term “Akhand” means uninterrupted or unbroken, and “Path” refers to the reading or recitation of the scripture.
During an Akhand Path, the Guru Granth Sahib is read from beginning to end without any breaks. Devotees take turns reading or listening to the scripture, ensuring that the recitation continues day and night until the entire Guru Granth Sahib is completed. The Akhand Path is often conducted on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, or other significant events in the Sikh community.
The continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib is considered a spiritual and communal practice, fostering a sense of unity and devotion among the Sikh community. It is believed to bring blessings, positive energy, and spiritual well-being to those involved and to the surroundings where the Akhand Path is conducted.
Ram Mandir consecration ceremony
Rituals in the run-up to the January 22 Ram Mandir consecration ceremony started at the temple complex on Tuesday (January 26). These will continue till January 21. On January 22, the minimum essential rituals needed for the “Pran Pratishtha” (consecration) of the idol of Ram Lalla will be conducted.
“The ‘anushthan’ has started and will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. Eleven priests are performing the rituals invoking all the “devis and devtas” (goddesses and gods),” Ram temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said.
The trust said there are seven adhivasas in the “Pran Pratishtha” and a minimum of three adhivasas are in practice. There are 121 “acharyas” who are conducting the rituals and Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid is overseeing, coordinating and directing all proceedings of the “anushthan”. The principal “acharya” will be Laxmikant Dixit Dixit of Kashi.
The Ram temple “Pran Pratishtha” will begin at 12:20 pm on January 22, Rai had said.
The rituals preceding the “Pran Pratishtha” started with the “prayaschita” and “karmakuti poojan”, according to a schedule released by the Sri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
On January 17, the idol’s “parisar pravesh” will be completed, followed by “teerth poojan”, “jal yatra” and “gandhadhivas” on January 18 and “aushadhadhivas”, “kesaradhivas”, “ghritadhivas” and “dhanyadhivas” on January 19.
On January 20, rituals related to “sharkara dhivas”, “phaladhivas” and “pushpadhivas” will be held. On January 21, the “madhyadhivas” and “shaiyadhivas” rituals will be completed, according to the schedule.