Prime Minister Narendra Modi is observing a special diet ahead of the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in Ayodhya is scheduled to be held on January 22  and it is expected that the event would witness a presence of a deluge of people from celebrities, religious seers, and foreign dignitaries. 

In light of the Pran Pratishtha, Prime Minister Modi is said to be strictly adhering to a diet. According to reports published by NDTV,  the Prime Minister is drinking only coconut water, sleeping on the ground, and following the Yam rules during this period. This special diet is part of the 11-day ritual which also includes meditation. 

During this ritual, the consumption of garlic, onions, and several food items is prohibited and as Modi is gearing up for a historic religious event, the officials said he is observing this diet. The construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been a paramount promise of the BJP and by fulfilling the promise, the BJP aims to reap a majority mandate of votes in the upcoming general elections. 

On January 12, Narendra Modi had declared that the ritual had begun, thanking everyone for being able to witness the historic and auspicious occasion of the Ram Temple's 'Pran Pratishtha'. The Lord Ram deity, which will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, was unveiled on Friday as the temple premises were lit up spectacularly. 

During the consecretion ceremony, Pandit Lakshmikant Dixit will be leading a group of priests who will carry out the rituals of the Pran Prathistha with Prime Minister Modi serving as the host at the auspicious time of 12.30 pm on January 22. The Ram Lalla idol was sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, who is a sculptor based in Mysuru. 

By the time of writing this content, the Prime Minister is in Tamil Nadu where he is on a spiritual tour. He visited the iconic Sri Rangam Temple in Trichy and also visited Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram. In a span of ten days, Modi has perhaps covered some important temples in South India from Veerabhadra Temple in Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh, Guruvayur Temple in Kerala, to Sri Rangam and Rameswaram Temples in Tamil Nadu. 

After wrapping his visit to Rameswaram on January 21, Modi will arrive in Ayodhya the next day to inaugurate the Ram Temple. While the inauguration ceremony and Modi's diet have been making headlines across the nation, what is equally grabbing attention is the dissents from several Sankaracharyas, who said that they won't attend the ceremony by citing that the Ram Temple construction is still incomplete. 

They have expressed their disappointments and there has also been a nationwide notion that Modi, who took oath to a nation's secular office, should not project his religion and should either refrain from Hindu religious events or should take part in the events organized by every religion. Notably, over 11,000 people have been invited by the temple trust to attend the consecretion ceremony.