From Kothari brothers, to Muslim karsevak; Know the special Ayodhya Ram Mandir's invitees

New Delhi, Jan 11: India is gearing up for the grand 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Bhagwan Shri Ram scheduled on January 22, which will also mark the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.


Here are some notable figures who are invited for the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Bhagwan Shri Ram-

1. The Kothari Brothers' family

The family of Kothari Brothers from Kolkata, Ram Kothari and Sharad Kothari have also been invited to the event. The Kothari Brothers travelled from Kolkata in 1990 which was then known as Calcutta, to Ayodhya, to fight for the Ram Janmabhoomi where they sacrificed their lives in a gun firing.

2. Muslim Karsevak

An invitation is also given to a Muslim karsevak who participated in the Ram Mandir Andolan. When Mohammed Habib received the invitation, he broke down in tears of happiness and described it as an "emotional moment." During the protest, Habib was the BJP Yuva Morcha's District Vice-President. On December 2, 1992, he and fifty other persons travelled from Varanasi Cantt to Ayodhya.

3. Bharat Barai

Among the esteemed invitees are oncologist Bharat Barai who had campaigned in 2014 for the visa approval of Narendra Modi, shortly before the Lok Sabha elections. The US was preparing to ban the BJP leader from the country for ten years. At the time, Gujarat's Chief Minister was Narendra Modi. He travelled to India to assist Narendra Modi's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections after raising money for former US President Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In 2014, Barai headed a group of 650 NRIs in Gujarat for the 'Modi for PM' campaign. Additionally, they actively supported BJP candidates in several seats.

4. Babri Masjid Petitioner

The January 22 event has extended an invitation to Iqbal Ansari, who spearheaded a legal battle in favour of the Babri Masjid. Ansari, a prominent supporter of the mosque and a previous litigator in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid controversy received an invitation earlier in January, highlighting the theme "#SabKeRam, the endeavour to include everyone in the process of inaugurating Ram Mandir. He has supported the construction of the temple and actively participated in ceremonies and activities, including the welcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ayodhya, despite his prior participation with the Babri Masjid dispute.

5. Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia

TV's beloved characters of Ramayan, actors Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia, will also be present at the ceremony. Arun Govil played Ram and Dipika Chikhlia played Sita in the TV serial broadcast by Doordarshan in the late 1980s. The Ramanand Sagar serial, which was telecast on Sundays, took Ramayan into homes across India.