NEW DELHI: Star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been extended an invitation to attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
The 37-year-old bowler joins a list of esteemed cricketers, including Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar, who have received invitations for the grand event.
The news was announced by BJP Tamil Nadu's Venkatraman C, who expressed excitement about presenting the invitation to Ashwin. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, and others, have also been invited to participate in the ceremony.
Vedic rituals for the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya commenced on Tuesday, with the main ceremony scheduled for January 22.
Champat Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, mentioned that the temple would be open for 'darshan' to the general public from January 23.
"The 'Pran Prathishtha' is expected to conclude by 1 pm. PM Modi and others present on the occasion will express their thoughts after the ceremony. As per tradition, gifts in 1000 baskets have come from Nepal's Janakpur and areas of Mithila. On Jan 20 and 21 darshan will remain closed to the public," Rai stated.
While Ashwin is honored to receive the invitation, he is concurrently part of India's Test squad gearing up for a five-match series against England, scheduled to commence on January 25.
(With inputs from ANI)
