The first look of the new idol of Lord Ram, with the face covered with a white cloth, has been revealed.
The 51-inch idol has been sculpted by Mysuru-based artist Arun Yogiraj.
The new idol of Lord Ram was placed inside Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi temple on Thursday, days ahead of the grand consecration ceremony on January 22.
The first photo of the idol -- made in black stone -- depicts the deity as a five-year-old child in a standing posture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the January 22 'Pran Pratishtha' or consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, which is expected to be opened to the public the next day.
'Pran Pratishtha' means imbibing the idol with divine consciousness and is a must for every idol that is worshipped in a temple.
The Prime Minister has urged the public not to visit Ayodhya on January 22 as "we would not like to cause any problems to Lord Ram," adding that everyone can come from January 23.
More than 11,000 guests have been invited by the temple trust and they include cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.
The ceremony will also be attended by all the trustees of the temple trust, seers of about 150 sects and more than 500 people associated with the construction of the temple, who have been named the "Engineer Group".
Rituals leading to the consecration ceremony have already begun at the temple, constructed at what many devout believe marks the spot where Lord Ram was born.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi is also strictly following a set of rules and rituals ahead of participation in the grand event, sources said.
Sources added that the Prime Minister is sleeping on the floor with only a blanket and has been only drinking coconut water.
'My name is the guarantee of security in the country', PM Modi says in Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his name is the guarantee of security in the country, adding it was his primary duty to protect the citizens of the nation.
9 held for gang rape of minors in Meghalaya
Nine persons were arrested by the police in connection with the rape of minor girls in the South West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, officials said on Sunday.
Indian Coast Guard apprehends Pakistani boat with huge consignment of narcotics
In a major success, the Indian Coast Guard, following an overnight aerial-maritime joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on Sunday apprehended a Pakistan boat in the Arabian Sea, west of Gujarat's Porbandar, and seized a large haul of narcotics.
Decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken on next day of Independence, PM Modi says in K'taka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken the very next day after the country achieved Independence in 1947.
Rahul slams BJD-BJP in Odisha rally, says both in collusion to benefit few corporates
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stepping up the party’s campaign in Odisha on Sunday lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and the opposition BJP while accusing them of having ‘married’ each other for personal gains and befooling the public.
PM Modi has already scored a century in first two phases of LS polls: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already scored a century of seats in the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls.
Govt extends shutdown of schools in Tripura till May 1, heat wave alert extends
In view of the intense heat wave, the Tripura government has announced an extension of shutdown of all government aided schools and privately managed schools till May 1 next.
Despite having a woman CM, females in West Bengal most unsafe: JP Nadda
BJP national president J. P. Nadda on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying that despite having a woman chief minister, females in the state are most unsafe.