Modi sleeping on floor, drinking coconut water ahead of Ram Temple ceremony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted a strict regime ahead of the consecration of the Ram temple, people aware of developments said on Thursday, adding that the 73-year-old was sleeping on the floor and consuming only coconut water.

”It’s true,’” was all that a spokesperson for the prime minister said. He also confirmed Modi’s choice of coconut water was part of the satvik diet which is compulsory to conduct the ceremony.

Last week, the PM announced that he would follow Yama Niyam, which is necessary to observe for 11 days before holy occasions. He also talked about conducting various rituals as part of an anushthan.

“Only 11 days are left for Ram Lalla’s ‘pran pratishtha’ in Ayodhya. I am fortunate to witness the auspicious occasion. God has asked me to represent the people of India during the ceremony. Keeping in mind, I am beginning an 11-day special ritual from today. I seek blessings from all of you,” the PM had said in a video on X.

Apart from rising early and the diet, Modi also spent the week visiting temples in western and southern India, such as Panchavati in Nashik, where Lord Ram is believed to have some parts of his exile.

Modi also visited the Guruvayur temple in Kerala and the Veerabhadra temple in Andhra Pradesh,.

Modi is also scheduled to visit a series of temples in Tamil Nadu this weekend. When he visits the Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli on Saturday, he will spend time listening to various scholars reciting verses from the Kamba Ramayan. Then, he heads to Rameshwaram where he’ll be part of the audience listening to the Ramayana in Sanskrit, Awadhi, Kashmiri, Gurumukhi, Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, and Gujarati. According to his office, they will focus on Ram’s return to Ayodhya. In the evening, he will be in Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple listening to bhajans or devotional songs. The next day, Modi will first visit the Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Dhanushkodi and then go to Arichal Munai, which is said to be the place from where the Ram Setu was built.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has urged all its members and functionaries to conduct various programmes to coincide with the January 22 ceremony. In a letter to all office bearers, general secretary Arun Singh has instructed all workers to organise cleanliness campaigns for the occasion and celebrate the day like Diwali.