"Whole country is excited": Singer Maithili Thakur on Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony

BUXAR: Ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised the Bihar based singer Maithili Thakur for her song on Maa Shabri.

In a post on X earlier, PM Modi said that the Pran Pratishtha event is reminding the people in the country of incidents related to the life of Lord Ram.

"The occasion of Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya is reminding my family members across the country of every incident related to the life and ideals of Lord Shri Ram. One such emotional incident is related to Shabari. Listen, to how Maithili Thakur ji has put it in her melodious tunes," he said.

Expressing her excitement for the ceremony, Thakur told ANI, "The whole country is excited for this (Ram temple 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony). I am very lucky that I will be able to witness this ceremony in this lifetime..."

Born in Bihar's Benipatti, Maithali Thakur is a singer known for singing songs in various languages like- Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Maithili.

According to the Ramayana Maa Shabri is known for her devotion towards Lord Ram. She offered half-eaten fruits to Lord Ram when he was in exile.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22.

A host of leaders and dignitaries from all walks of life have been invited to the grand temple opening in Ayodhya.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

The idol of Ram Lalla was placed in the 'Garbha Griha' of the Ram Temple on Friday amid joyous chants of 'Jai Shri Ram.'

Varanasi priest Lakshmi Kant Dixit will officiate the main rituals during the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony, while PM Modi will also perform rituals at the ceremony.