PM Narendra Modi performs 'pranayama' at Arichal Munai point day before Ram temple ceremony

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Arichal Munai near Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu on Sunday as part of his Ramayana-connect tour. He paid floral tributes at the seashore.

The visit took place a day before the pran-pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya, where Modi is the chief guest. Dhanushkodi is believed to be the location where Lord Ram vowed to defeat Ravana.

Modi performed a puja at the Sri Kothandarama Swamy temple in Dhanushkodi, a site associated with several Ramayana legends. The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Ayodhya for the pran-pratishtha of the Ram Mandir on Monday.

On Saturday, he visited the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli and Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram. In preparation for the grand event in Ayodhya, which is expected to host around 8,000 VIP guests, the Uttar Pradesh Police have increased security in the town.

Drones are flying high for overhead monitoring and boats are used for patrolling the Saryu River, according to Additional Director General (ADG) Lucknow Zone Piyush Mordia.

The sanctum sanctorum of the Ayodhya temple now houses the deity of Lord Ram Lalla. Arun Yogiraj, a sculptor based in Mysuru, created the idol of "Ram Lalla." The idol weights 1.5 tonnes and is 51 inches tall. The idol, which is made of the same stone, shows Lord Ram as a five-year-old boy standing on a lotus.