Priests from Varanasi begin to depart for Ayodhya consecration

Varanasi: Departure of priests to perform rituals of consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya started from Kashi on the occasion of Makarsankranti on Sunday.Kashi’s scholar of astrology Pt Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, who had decided the ‘Muhurt’ (appropriate and auspicious day and time) for laying foundation of Ram Mandir and its consecration, left the city for Ayodhya with the first batch of priests on Sunday afternoon. Veteran priest Pt Laxmikant Mathuradas Dixit, who will supervise the rituals of consecration to be performed by 100 top Vedic scholars and priests from across India, will leave Kashi on Tuesday. A team of nine Vedic scholars and priests, who had gathered at Shri Vallabhram Shaligram Sangved Vidyalaya in Ramghat of Kashi, left for Ayodhya by road in the afternoon. Earlier, a batch of other priests, assigned preparations and all necessary arrangements for the rituals, had already reached Ayodhya last week.Next batch of Vedic scholars and priests will be leaving the city on Tuesday, said his son Sunil Laxmikant Dixit.