Government offices off for half day on 22 January

livemint.com:

Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla, all central government offices, central institutions and central industrial establishments across the country would remain closed for half a day till 02:30 pm." “Various activities have been planned by organizations and groups of people across India and abroad to coincide with the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya," said the order. National broadcaster Doordarshan has made elaborate arrangements for live telecast of the event.

Ahead of the consecration, the PM in December 2023 had inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth Rs.11,110 crores for the development of Ayodhya and its surrounding areas, including the Maharishi Valmiki international airport and the redeveloped Ayodhya Dham railway station. Investment in Ayodhya is expected to rise, with 126 tourism projects worth ₹3,800 crore currently underway and a ₹85,000 crore redevelopment plan till 2031 announced last year.

The 'Pran Pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of the new idol of Ram at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ayodhya temple, being constructed for Rs. 1800 crores, is scheduled for 22 January with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to be the chief guest.

Over 7,000 invitations have been extended to celebrities, saints, and politicians, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Ambani, and Gautam Adani, along with 4,000 seers from across the country. The temple is expected to generate at least Rs.1 trillion worth of business across the country as per the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which also said in an official statement that approximately 30,000 different programs by trade associations are being organized across the country because of the Ram