VARANASI: An 86-year-old Vedic Karmkand (ritualism) scholar from Varanasi, Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, whose lineage tradition (vansh parampara) goes back to the renowned 17th century Kashi scholar, Gaga Bhatt, who presided over the coronation of Chatrapati Shivaji, will lead the band of priests at the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla idol at Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.He will be leading a team of 121 scholars from all branches of the Vedas from across India, including over 40 from Kashi, to solemnise the idol consecration rituals between January 16 and 22.It is the blessings bestowed upon me by the legendary saints and seers that Kashi and I have been assigned the responsibility of supervising the consecration of Ram Lalla. I will perform my duties with the blessings of Lord Ram, the veteran scholar told TOI.In September, a team comprising scholars including Dixit and Acharya Ganesh Shastri Dravid had also been sent to Ayodhya by the Kanchi Kamakoti Shankaracharya to decide the dates of consecration after meeting Rai.We also published the following articles recentlyRam Lalla idol consecration rituals to commence on Jan 16Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi performs the rituals to mark the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya on January 22, the rituals of this mahapujan will begin on January 16. The team of Vedic scholars and ritualists, led by Acharya Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, will start performing the basic rituals, including Sarva Prayashchit homam, Dashvid snan, assuming his place by Yajman, and others on January 16 afternoon. On January 17, a series of rituals will begin with Jalyatra, Tirth and Kalash Pujan, followed by Kalash Yatra.Ayodhya: Ram Lalla idol 90% ready, installation on January 22The idol of Lord Ram, depicting the child form, is 90% ready and will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple. The religious committee of the temple trust will select the best idol from three locations in Ayodhya. The finishing work on the idols, made from stones from Karnataka and Rajasthan, will take a week more. The ground floor of the temple, including the sanctum sanctorum, is almost ready. The rituals for Pran-Pratishtha of Ram Lalla will begin on January 16, with Vedic priest Lakshmi Kant Dixit performing the main rituals on January 22.High priest for Ayodhya rituals has Shivaji linkThe choice of an 86-year-old Vedic scholar from Varanasi to lead the assembly of priests at the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 is inextricably linked to another watershed moment in Indian history almost 350 years ago: Chhatrapati Shivajis coronation in 1674. Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, an authority on age-old traditions of Vedic rituals, traces his lineage to the renowned 17th-century Kashi scholar Gaga Bhatt, who presided over Shivajis ascension as fountainhead of Hindavi Swarajya or an independent Maratha state. Of the many rituals that will culminate in the consecration, January 21 will see the idol of Ram Lalla being bathed in water contained in 114 urns and drawn from famous Hindu pilgrimage sites and holy rivers.

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