Corps D’elite from business, film industry, politics, sports attend ‘pran pratishtha’ in Ayodhya

Ayodhya (UP): Prominent figures from the realms of Bollywood, business, cricket, and politics graced the grand consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday. Among the elite attendees were Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, business magnates Mukesh Ambani and Lakshmi N Mittal, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, representing the crème de la crème of India.

The extensive guest list included approximately 8,000 invitees, with a select group of 506 A-listers comprising influential politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, accomplished sportspersons, diplomats, judges, and high priests. Notable personalities from India Inc., such as billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family, steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal, telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal, Reliance Group head Anil Ambani, and Aditya Birla group chairperson Kumar Mangalam Birla with his daughter Ananya Birla, were among the distinguished faces in attendance.

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan arrived in Ayodhya via a private chartered plane, accompanied by his actor son Abhishek Bachchan. Actor Kangana Ranaut, who reached Ayodhya on Saturday, praised the ceremony as a “divine experience” and actively participated in a cleanliness drive at the Hanumangarhi temple. Ranaut was observed chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’ as Army helicopters showered flower petals on guests after the consecration ceremony.

Film industry luminaries like Rajinikanth, Hema Malini, Pawan Kalyan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Subhash Ghai, Shefali Shah, Vipul Shah, Randeep Hooda with his wife Lin Laishram, Aadinath Mangeshkar, Anu Malik, and Sonu Nigam also graced the temple town on Sunday. Nigam, along with Anuradha Paudwal and Shankar Mahadevan, delivered soul-stirring renditions of Ram bhajans. The ceremony witnessed the presence of Bollywood power couples, including Ranbir Kapoor with his wife Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal with his wife Katrina Kaif, along with Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Madhuri Dixit with her husband, film director Rohit Shetty, lyricist Prasoon Joshi, and singers Kailash Kher and Jubin Nautiyal.

A special moment occurred with the arrival of actor Arun Govil, known for portraying Lord Ram, and his co-star Dipika Chikhlia, who played Goddess Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s TV series ‘Ramayan.’ Dressed as Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, they shot a video in Ayodhya, creating a viral sensation on social media.

Spiritual leaders like Sadhvi Ritambhara, former Union minister Uma Bharti, yoga guru Ramdev, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar, Morari Bapu, and Acharya Balkrishna were also part of the distinguished guest list. In addition to luminaries from the entertainment industry, sports stars like former athlete P T Usha, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, and badminton player Saina Nehwal added a sporting dimension to the gathering. Corporate figures like Prashant Ruia, director of Essar Capital, and Sridhar Vembu, CEO of tech company Zoho, also attended the event.

Guests were presented with a ‘Ram patka’ (scarf) and welcomed with tilak. A unique touch included the gifting of a bell, which all invitees rang during the ‘aarti.’ The gift package also featured a book on Ayodhya, a metal ‘diya,’ a special ‘mala,’ and a scarf bearing the name of Lord Ram, packaged in a bag adorned with a striking image of the new temple and a youthful avatar of Lord Ram.

Senior BJP leaders, L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, key figures in the Ram temple movement, were among the invitees, along with the family of Kalyan Singh, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh during the demolition of the Babri Masjid. With agency inputs