Ayodhya, August 4: The stage is set for the foundation laying ceremony or bhumi pujan for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will lay the foundation stone for the construction of Ram Mandir, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat are on the list of prominent invitees. The first invitation was sent to Iqbal Ansari, one of the Muslim litigants in the Ayodhya dispute. Ram Temple 'Bhumi Pujan' in Ayodhya Live Streaming: When And Where to Watch Online Telecast of August 5 Foundation-Laying Ceremony For Construction of Ram Mandir.

There will be five guests who will be seated on the dais during the bhumi pujan. They are PM Narendra Modi, Mohan Bhagwat, Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the chairman of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust that is overseeing the temple construction. Uma Bharti Not to Attend Ram Temple Bhoomi Pujan Ceremony in Ayodhya Amid COVID-19, Says Will Visit Site After PM Narendra Modi Leaves.

Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan Guest List:

  • BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda

  • Yoga guru Baba Ramdev

  • Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

  • UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

  • UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma

  • UP Cabinet Ministers Suresh Khanna

  • UP Cabinet Minister Chaudhary Lakshmi Narayan Singh

  • BJP leader Vinay Katiyar

  • MLA Lallu Singh

  • Iqbal Ansari

  • Padma Shri recipient Mohammad Sharif

  • Pawan Singhal from VHP leader Ashok Singhal’s family

  • Narendra Giri of Akhada Parishad

  • Sadhvi Ritambhara

  • BHU Jyotish Department HoD Vinay Pandey

BJP veterans LK Advani, the face of Ram Janmbhoomi movement, and Murli Manohar Joshi are unlikely to attend the ceremony. They might witness the bhumi pujan via video conference. While Uma Bharti has already said that she will not attend the ceremony and visit the site only after PM Modi and others leave, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is hospitalised after testing positive for coronavirus, is unlikely to attend the event.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 04, 2020 02:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).