PM Modi will be main 'yajman' of Ram temple consecration: Top priest
Varanasi, Jan 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the main "yajman" at the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Laxmikant Dixit, the main priest for the ritual, said here on Wednesday.
Dixit refuted reports that Ram temple trust member Anil Mishra, who is performing rituals with his wife in the run-up to the main event, will be the yajman also on the consecration day.
Typically, the yajman is the main host of a puja -- the person on whose behalf the prayers are offered.
Talking to reporters before leaving for Ayodhya, Dixit, the main 'archak' (priest) made it clear that PM Modi will be the main yajman for the 'pran pratishtha' rituals in Ayodhya.
Dixit told PTI over phone that in the past he had performed 'pran pratishtha' at Ram temple in Laxmangarh in Rajasthan and also at a Odisha temple.
The run-up to the Ram temple consecration ceremony began on Tuesday with a series of rituals, led by a member of the temple trust and his wife.
These rituals will reach their finale with the consecration, or 'pran pratishtha', of the idol of Ram Lalla at the new temple in Ayodhya.
"The 'anushthan' has started and will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. Eleven priests are performing the rituals invoking all goddesses and gods," Ram temple chief priest Satyendra Das had said.
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Punjab Police cops withdrawn from Kejriwal's security
Chandigarh, Jan 23 (PTI): Punjab Police personnel deployed in the security of Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal have been withdrawn, the state police chief said on Thursday.
"Time to time, we get reports of threats to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal and we share them with the concerned agencies.
"Following the directions of the Delhi police and the Election Commission today, we withdrew the component of the Punjab police in the security of Kejriwal ji," Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav told reporters in Patiala.
"We showed our concerns to them. We will remain in touch with them. We will share our inputs with the Delhi police," he said.
The development comes ahead of the elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly on February 5. The poll results are set to be declared on February 8.
