FirstUp: Ram Mandir consecration ceremony and more… What to expect today

It’s Monday and there’s a lot of news expected to happen.

From the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir to the harmony rally being held in Kolkata by the Trinamool Congress, here’s a guide to all the big events from India and the world that are to make the headlines today.

Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony

Ayodhya will be all geared up today for the mega event of the year — the inauguration of the Ram Mandir. The temple town is fully prepared for the today’s ceremony in which the idol of Lord Ram Lalla would be consecrated in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.

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The consecration ceremony will begin at 12.20 pm in the auspicious nakshatra and is expected to be completed by 1 pm, Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, had said and Varanasi priest Lakshmi Kant Dixit will officiate the main rituals.

The temple trust and Vishva Hindu Parishad have invited nearly 8,000 guests including politicians such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, business stalwarts, entertainment industry stars and other dignitaries who are scheduled to arrive the temple town for the pran-pratishtha ceremony.

Also read: In Explainers: Who designed Ayodhya’s Ram temple? Who sculpted the idol?

The ceremony will be livestreamed across the country and abroad can watch it. Additionally, Indian embassies across the world and a sponsored screen at Times Square in New York will provide the live screening of the Ayodhya inauguration.

Schools in several Indian states have announced a holiday today. The federal government also declared a half-day at all its offices that day.

Supreme Court to hear Thackeray’s plea in Sena vs Sena tussle

The Supreme Court will hear the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena against the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker’s order declaring the Sena bloc led by CM Eknath Shinde as “real political party” after its split in June 2022.

On 15 January, the Thackeray faction, through lawyer Rohit Sharma, had moved the top court challenging the 10 January decision of the Speaker declaring the Sena bloc led by Shinde as the “real political party”.

Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar had also rejected the Thackeray faction’s plea to disqualify 16 MLAs of the ruling camp, including Shinde.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said she wouldn't attend the Ram Temple opening in Ayodhya. Instead, she is leading the 'Harmony Rally' in Kolkata. File image/PTI

TMC’s harmony rally in Kolkata

The Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee will lead a ‘Rally for Harmony with people of all religions in Kolkata today, the day when Ram Temple will be inaugurated in Ayodhya. Earlier, Banerjee had announced that she would skip the Ayodhya ceremony calling it a pre-poll gimmick by the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

“On 22 January, I will visit the Kalighat temple and offer puja. Then I will take part in a harmony rally with people of all religions. This has nothing to do with any other programme,” the West Bengal chief minister said.

The procession will begin the procession from the Hazra crossing in south Kolkata and end at the Park Circus Maidan.

Court to frame charges against TN minister Senthil Balaji

A sessions court in Chennai would frame charges against Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last year in connection with a money laundering case, today.

Balaji was arrested on 14 June 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister during an earlier AIADMK regime.

Soon after his arrest, he underwent a bypass surgery at a private hospital in the city. Later, the ED took him into custody for interrogation and following that he was remanded in judicial custody. His remand was periodically extended by the court.