Workers decorate an entrance gate of the Ram temple ahead of its opening in Ayodhya, India. Reuters

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav flagged off trucks carrying five lakh (500,000) 'laddus' (Indian sweets) as ‘prasad’ for the auspicious occasion of Pran-Pratishtha on January 22 in Ayodhya.

Yadav had announced to send five lakh laddus from Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple to Ayodhya last week. After the announcement by the CM, the Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee prepared the laddus for prasad (a religious offering).

Trucks loaded with laddus arrived at Manas Bhawan in Bhopal early on Friday and then CM Yadav flagged off them to Ayodhya later in the day. The laddus have been made from besan (gram flour), rava , ghee and dry fruits.

On this occasion, CM Yadav said, "The foundation of the city of Ayodhya, as we see it today, was laid around 2,000 years ago during the era of Emperor Vikramaditya." He claimed that the original temple was built by Emperor Vikramaditya.

"We are happy that those glory days are being restored. Lord Ram is returning to his birthplace and will be enthroned in the ‘Sanctum Santorum’ of the temple,” while flagging off trucks, Yadav said.

He also said, "Baba Mahakal is sending five lakh laddus from here as a symbol of his love. Today, after showing the saffron flag, we sent these prasad chariots filled with laddus to Ayodhya.”

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut praises Ram Lalla sculptor Arun Yogiraj

Kangana took to her Instagram stories, where she said that the idol looked much like what she had imagined God's face to be. The idol of Ram Lalla was placed in the Garbha Griha of the Ram Temple on Thursday with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram' before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, which will take place on January 22.

A jeweller holds a gold finger ring with the Ayodhya Ram temple on its mount, in Ahmedabad. AFP

Sharing a picture of the Ram Lalla idol, Kangana wrote: "I always thought Lord Rama looked like this as a young boy and my imaginations today came alive with this murti... @arun_yogiral aap dhanya hain.”

The South India connection

The five-foot tall idol of Ram Lalla that will be installed in the grand Ram temple on January 22 has been crafted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj.

The doors of the temple that have been made by a Hyderabad-based craftsman are already in Ayodhya.

A 600-kilo bell from Rameshwaram with 'Jai Shri Ram' etched on it, along with several other bells, are from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu.

Granite slabs from Tamil Nadu and Telangana are being used for construction.

The silver ‘padukas’ that will be kept in the temple during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, made of one kg gold and seven kg silver, have been crafted by Shrichalla Shriniwas of Hyderabad.

With this, can there be any doubts about the contribution of the South in this magnificent temple of the North?

According to seers in Ayodhya, a large number of devotees who have been frequenting the holy city since decades, come from the southern states.

Schoolchildren watch BJP supporters celebrating the upcoming opening of a grand Ram temple in Ahmedabad. AP

Mahant Ram Chandra, a seer in Tapasvi Chhavni, says "Pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh are frequent visitors here. Most of them come in groups and make multiple trips. Ayodhya-Prayagraj-Varanasi forms the ‘Hindu triangle’ in Uttar Pradesh and gets devotees who visit all three places.”

Manohar Lal, caretaker of Saket Dharamshala, says that the bulk of his customers are from the South.

"In fact, we even have a cook who specialises in south Indian food for our guests from south India. Some families visit Ayodhya every year and even bring spices for us. Our relationship is now beyond the usual,” he informs.

Temple trust sources claim that contributions for the temple have been pouring in from the southern states.

"We cannot disclose the names of donors or the amount but, yes, the majority of the donors come from south India,” the sources said.

Bengal's Visva-Bharati University declares half-day holiday on Jan 22

The iconic Visva-Bharati University at Bolpur – Santiniketan in Birbhum district of West Bengal has declared a half-day holiday for the students, faculty and staff members on January 22 on the occasion of the inauguration of Ram Temple in ayodhya.

A notification has been issued by the university authorities claiming that the normal functioning in all departments and office sections will remain closed till 2.30 pm on Monday.

In the notification, the university authorities have clearly stated that the half-day holiday is for "celebration of Ram Lalla's Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya".

The Maharashtra government has declared a public holiday on January 22 -- the day when 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Temple will take place in Ayodhya, an official said on Friday.

The Centre had earlier announced a half-day holiday for the Central government offices on Monday (January 22), to enable people view the historic ceremony in Ayodhya.

Just two days before the grand ceremony of the pran pratishta of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, members of the Hindu Sena, a right-wing outfit, on Saturday defaced the signage of Babar Road near Delhi's Bengali Market.

The activists affixed a poster with the name "Ayodhya Marg" on it, sparking a fresh wave of debate over the demand to change the road's name.

An individual has been arrested in Goa for allegedly tearing a banner of Lord Ram, the police said on Friday.

The police, however, refused to disclose the identity of the arrested individual, saying the person is a native of Uttar Pradesh.

A banner was displayed at Porvorim in North Goa wishing people for Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya on January 22.

Indo-Asian News Service