Five states have declared a holiday on the occasion of Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January. All education institutes will remain closed in Uttar Pradesh on the day and liquor shops will be closed too.
Other states implementing a holiday for education institutes on the day include Madhya Pradesh, which declared 22nd January a dry day. Goa has declared a holiday for schools and government employees.
In Chhattisgarh, all government and private schools and colleges will remain closed. In Haryana, schools will remain closed and liquor consumption will not be allowed.
Meanwhile, advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay has reportedly written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging them to declare 22nd January as a national holiday.
Advocate Upadhyay states in the letter that Shri Ram lives in the breath and veins of every Indian across the globe and particularly Hindus. The excerpt of the letter read:
“No personality like Lord Shri Ram has ever been born on this planet in any civilization in the world and Lord Shri Ram is an integral part of national pride and Indian civilization. It is well known that Lord Shri Ram lives in the breath and veins of every Indian across the globe in general and Hindus in particular. It is a well-known fact that Lord Shri Ram is worshipped more than any other incarnation of Lord Vishnu or any other god or goddess. People of the country are awaiting very eagerly to celebrate January 22, 2024, as a national festival and therefore, to respect the sentiment of the people of the country and more particularly, the Hindus, it is desirable that January 22, 2024, be declared a national holiday like other Hindu festivals.”
Meanwhile, weeklong rituals in the run-up to Pran Pratishtha have begun in Ayodhya. On Thursday, the second day of rituals, the idol of Shri Ram Lalla was brought to the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir and is set to be installed.
Political leaders, religious heads, celebrities, VIPs will all be part of the grand ceremony and attendees will be presented with gifts including the soil from the Ram Janmabhoomi.
A team of priests led by Pandit Lakshmikant Dixit will be performing the rituals of Pran Pratishtha in the presence of PM Modi.
