Himachal Pradesh celebrates consecration of Lord Rama idol in Ayodhya

Amidst the state-wide celebrations over the consecration of the idol of Lord Rama in Ayodhya, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said a statue of Lord Rama would be built alongside Lord Hanuman at the famous Jakhu temple. The proposed statue is likely to be 111-feet tall, three feet taller than the statue of Lord Hanuman.

“Lord Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. The latter is incomplete without the former. So, we have decided to construct a statue of Lord Rama at Jakhu temple,” the Chief Minister said after paying obeisance at the temple. “I urge everyone to light up a lamp today and imbibe the qualities of Lord Rama in their lives,” he said.

The celebrations began right from the morning across the state. The consecration ceremony was streamed live on LED screens in several temples across the state. At many places ‘akhand path’ and ‘bhajan kirtan’ were held throughout the day. In Shimla, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur witnessed the consecration ceremony from Ram Mandi in Shimla. “It’s a great moment. We all are lucky that we got an opportunity to see the consecration of Lord Rama,” said Thakur.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla along with wife Janaki Shukla visited the Ram temple to pay obeisance. On the occasion, he called upon the devotees to follow the principles of Lord Rama. The occasion was celebrated with same fervour and enthusiasm elsewhere in the state, right from Solan, Kullu, Una and Chamba. Late in the evening, thousands of lamps were lighted in temples and elsewhere.