The invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was recently given to famous Indian batsman Virat Kohli and his Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma. Notably, there were rumors going around that the former captain of India and other cricket players had received invitations to the big event. But it wasn’t until Tuesday, January 16, that the couple’s photos of receiving the invitation for the special occasion appeared online.
The pair is seen posing with the invitation for the temple’s consecration ceremony at their Mumbai home in the widely shared photo.
Reports state that Virat Kohli traveled to Mumbai to accept the invitation in person while he was in Indore for the second Twenty20 International match against Afghanistan on January 14.
So Virat Kohli travelled back to Mumbai from Indore to receive the invite for Pran Prathistha at Ram Mandir, Ayodhya? 👀 pic.twitter.com/wlBFEO4SZE
— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) January 16, 2024
The batsman from Delhi arrived in Bengaluru earlier today in advance of the series’ final Twenty20 match, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 17 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. The 35-year-old was seen rehearsing with the team at the stadium, and he even struck up a quick conversation with wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant, who has been receiving rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
As the country gets ready for the return of Ram Lalla, or infant Lord Ram, great Indian cricketers MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar have also been invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in addition to Kohli. The holy event, which is set to take place in the Uttar Pradesh city of Ayodhya on January 22, will also witness the attendance of a number of other notable figures from throughout the nation.
PM Narendra Modi will also attend the function.
Notably, a Hindu temple consecrates an idol through a procedure called Pran Pratishtha. Holy songs and mantras are recited at the occasion to greet the Almighty in their innermost abode. The highly anticipated event will also be graced by the honorable prime minister, Narendra Modi, along with a number of well-known national figures, including Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, businessmen Mukesh Ambani and Ratan Tata, among many others.
The general public can visit the temple starting on January 23, although the vedic rites for the occasion started a week early on Tuesday, January 16.