Ayodhya is preparing for the Tilakotsav. This year’s event holds a special significance as it is the first Tilakotsav after the consecration (Pran Pratishtha) ceremony of the Ram Temple. Another unique feature of this Tilakotsav is that gifts are being brought from Sita’s birthplace, Janakpur in Nepal, for the first time.
The Tilakotsav ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple is scheduled for November 18. This festival celebrates the marking of a tilak or auspicious mark on Lord Rama’s forehead. A procession of 251 delegates from Janakpur Dham will arrive in Ayodhya, bringing gifts in 103 vehicles. These gifts, packed in 501 boxes on trucks, include fruits, flowers, sweets, gold and silver ornaments. Additionally, silver bows and arrows, numerous gold ornaments, the famous “Pearl Choora Laddu,” khaja (a sweet), and other items will be presented for the festival. Previously, many devotees from within and outside India had also presented gifts for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, with three trucks of gifts arriving from Janakpur at that time.
This Tilakotsav is the first major event following the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, preparations for the wedding ceremony of Lord Rama and Sita are underway in Janakpur Dham. The Rama-Sita wedding will be celebrated on December 6, the day of Panchami. Devotees are enthusiastically preparing to celebrate this ceremony with grandeur.
In memory of the wedding of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, the holy city of Janakpur in Nepal is set to host the “Vivah Samaroh” festival along with Ayodhya on the auspicious Vivah Panchami day. The items for the tilak ceremony will be sent from Maa Sita’s Raj Mahal in Janakpur.
For the first time, 251 Tilak-bearers (individuals performing the tilak rituals) will arrive in Ayodhya from Janakpur Dham, the land of Lord Rama’s in-laws, along with 501 types of offerings. These offerings include clothes, jewelry, various sweets, dry fruits, fruits, and other items. The Tilak-bearers will depart on November 16 and reach Ayodhya on November 17, with the Tilakotsav scheduled for November 18.
According to scriptures, Lord Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, married Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Janakpur Dham, in the Treta Yuga. The wedding took place in Janakpur Dham. The ancient city of Janakpur in Nepal is historically connected to Ayodhya in India, and Janakpur also participated in celebrations during the first Deepotsav after the consecration of the Ram Temple.
