First Glimpse: Photo of 5-Year-Old Ram Lalla Emerges Ahead Of Pran-Pratishtha

A sneak peek of Ram Lalla's face was unveiled ahead of the pran pratishtha ceremony scheduled for January 22. In the images circulating on social media, the five-year-old Lord Ram is portrayed standing with a golden bow and arrow.

These images originate from the workshop where Mysuru's sculptor, Arun Yogiraj, crafted the idol. The idol's eyes will only be revealed on January 22, precisely at 12:30 pm, the auspicious muhurtam for the consecration.

Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson, shared a photo of Ram Lalla's uncovered face, expressing, "The beautiful photo of Lord Shri Ram fills the heart with joy."

On Thursday, the 51-inch black stone idol was positioned in the sanctum sanctorum, covered with a cloth. The initial photo shared by the Vishva Hindu Parishad featured the black statue with eyes concealed beneath a yellow cloth.

The pre-consecration ceremonies, initiated a week ago on January 16, reached the fourth day on Friday. The holy fire for the worship will be kindled today.

According to Govind Dev Giri, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, the unveiling of Ram Lalla's statue involves applying honey to a gold bar. The cloth covering Ram Lalla's eyes will be removed on January 22, preceding the pran pratishtha ceremony. Acharya Giri explained to ANI, "The basic method of 'netronmelan' is that by applying honey to a gold bar, the eyes become anointed, which looks like 'kajal' to the people."

Arun Yogiraj's Ram Lalla Idol:

A panel unanimously selected the idol crafted by Arun Yogiraj, as it presented Ram Lalla uniquely as a five-year-old child. Weighing approximately 150-200kg, the idol is carved from black stone. Reports suggest that the rock from which the black stone was chiselled is a three-billion-year-old rock.

During the idol-making process, sculptor Arun Yogiraj adopted an ascetic lifestyle, observing a six-month fast with limited food intake restricted to fruits, sprouts, and satvik items, as revealed by his wife, Vijetha.