Janakpur, Nepal - As the countdown of the grand Pran Pratishtha ceremony for the Ram Mandir commences in India, Nepal's famous Janakpurdham echoed the spirit of “Ram Naam” to commemorate the celebrations. The maternal home of Goddess Sita is now brimming with joy and is conducting a host of events to commemorate the festivities. According to the ANI, hymns of Lord Ram and Sita echoed the skies of the Nepalese city around the clock. Not only this, the famous Janak Temple is decked up with lights as the city and the country gears up to witness the inauguration of Ram Mandir in the neighbouring State. 

"The January 22 event of Pran Pratishtha of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has also brought a wave of happiness for us. We have planned a series of events on that day, which will start in the morning and last until the end of the day. We will make Rangoli's out of vermillion powder and Lord Ram's picture from flowers. We will also observe Deepawali in our home. We are all happy with the construction of the temple in Ayodhya; the whole of Janakpur is happy with it," Bharat Kumar Sah, a resident of Janakpur, told ANI. "I personally am really happy and excited about it (Pran Pratishtha ceremony). I will celebrate Deepawali in the evening (January 22) and also light lamps at the temple. I am also asking my friends and others to hold Deepawali on January 22," Sanjay Mandal, another resident of Janakpur told the news outlet while paying respect to the Janaki Temple. 

Mahants from Nepal were invited to the event

According to ANI, the Chief Mahanth along with the Chote Mahanth from Nepal's Janakpur has been invited to attend the grand ceremony in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The ceremony which is scheduled to take place on January 22 will witness the installation of the idol Ram Lalla at the grand temple. The event is expected to be attended by hundreds of officials and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to chair the event. Meanwhile, Nepal's Mahabir Mandir next to the railway station in Janakpur started “Astajaam” on Saturday. "Without Lord Hanuman, Lord Ram won't go anywhere; that's why we have started the three-day programme of Astajaam, which goes on round the clock. We started it today and will continue until tomorrow. On January 22, we will do Hanuman Aradhana, recite Hanuman Chalisa 12 times and later in the evening we will light oil-fed clay lamps," Kamal Hathi, one of the devotees and organisers of Astajaam in Janakpur, told ANI.

(With inputs from ANI)