Existing idols will also be placed in new Ram temple

Ayodhya, Jan 16: The existing idols of Ram Lalla and his three brothers, which is being worshipped for the past 74 years now at the makeshift temple, will placed in front of the new idol inside the ‘garbh griha’ of the Ram Temple on January 22.

Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said: “The worship of the present idol of Lord Ram has been going on since 1950 and it will be seated in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple along with the new idol.

"The worshipping of the idol will continue even after January 22 in the same manner as it has been done so far.”

Rai said the Ram Lalla’s present idol will also be dressed in new attires.

The 'appearance' of these idols on the night of October 22-23, 1949 inside the disputed site reignited the centuries old dispute, with the Muslim side claiming that the idols were kept by seers led by Hanuman Garhi's mahant Abhiram Das.

However, the public sentiments that this development ignited among Hindus set in motion a turn of events that laid the foundation of a prolonged legal battle that culminated into the Supreme Court's verdict on November 9, 2019 declaring that this was the birthplace of Lord Ram.