Ram Temple: 21 priests begin ceremony that will culminate with PM laying foundation

Seers at the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas workshop ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple, in Ayodhya on Monday. Ayodhya : At 9.30am on Monday with the chanting of Vedic hymns, a group of 21 Hindu priests began a holy ceremony that will culminate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya town two days later, marking a key milestone as a 135-year conflict that sparked riots and left thousands dead heads towards closure. The two-hour Gauri Ganesh Puja, in honour of Hindu god Ganesh, was helmed by Vanarasi-based priest, Jai Prakash Upadhyay, as the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, which is overseeing the temple’s construction, confirmed that 175 guests were invited for Wednesday’s ceremony.