Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli has been extended an invitation to partake in the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Temple scheduled for January 22 in Ayodhya. Representatives from the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust visited Kohli’s residence on Tuesday, where he, accompanied by his wife Anushka Sharma, graciously accepted the invitation. Kohli, in turn, has extended invitations to cricket luminaries Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, both of whom are expected to attend the ceremony. Notably, Jharkhand’s accomplished female archer, Deepika Kumari, has also received an invitation.
Despite Kohli’s current commitment with Team India for a three-match T20 series against Afghanistan, he is anticipated to have ample time to attend the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony, given that the final T20 match is scheduled for January 17. Following this, the Test series against England is set to commence on January 25, starting in Hyderabad.
Various luminaries from diverse fields, including film artists, scientists, and sports personalities, have been invited to the Pran Pratishtha program. The likelihood of Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni attending the ceremony is high, following their receipt of invitations. Additionally, Rohit Sharma is also expected to grace the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to participate in the idol installation of Ramlala in the temple on the designated day. Vinod Bansal, the national spokesperson for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), shared during his January 10 visit to Jharkhand that approximately 7,000 attendees, including around 100 international delegates, are expected to be present at the function.
