On January 16, India’s renowned player Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma were invited to attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22. This ceremony would commemorate the ceremonial placement of Ram Lalla’s idol at the big temple. Before Virat, former cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni were also invited to the spectacular ceremony.
Notably, Virat, who was in Indore for the second T20I against Afghanistan, travelled to Mumbai to receive the invitation. He is presently on his way to Bengaluru, the venue for the third and final T20I.
Kohli recently returned to T20I cricket after a 14-month absence, participating in a series against Afghanistan.
Despite missing the first match due to personal reasons, Kohli returned for the second T20I in Indore, scoring 29 runs off 16 deliveries to give India a 2-0 lead in the series. The final match is planned for January 17 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, with India aiming for a clean sweep versus Afghanistan.
The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ event is significant because it commemorates the ceremonial enthronement of Ram Lalla’s idol in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. The presence of cricketing legends gives a special dimension to Ayodhya’s cultural and religious activities.
