Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar among the cricket invitees for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

New Delhi: Former India captain Virat Kohli became the latest cricketer after MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar to receive an invitation for the Ram Temple 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony to be held on January 22 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the day, pictures of Dhoni and Tendulkar receiving invites went viral on social media.

Though the main ceremony takes place on January 22, the Vedic rituals of Ram Lalla's Pran Pratishtha ceremony began last Tuesday in Ayodhya. The Ram temple will open for public darshan from January 23, said Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

“The 'Pran Prathishtha' is expected to end at 1 pm. Prime Minister Modi and others present on the occasion will express their thoughts after the ceremony. According to tradition, gifts in 1000 baskets come from Nepal's Janakpur and Mithila areas. Darshan will remain closed for public on January 20 and 21,” Rai said.

Earlier on Monday, senior RSS functionary Dhananjay Singh handed over the invitation to Dhoni at his residence in Ranchi. BJP organizing secretary Karmaveer Singh was also present on the occasion. “We have handed over the invitation card to him (Dhoni) on behalf of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22,” Singh told PTI.

Singh said Dhoni and his family members expressed their happiness after receiving the invitation. Meanwhile, Kohli is currently part of the Indian squad to play Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series. The former India skipper missed the first match due to personal reasons but played in the second. He will also play in the third in Bengaluru.