Ahead of a grand anointing ceremony of Lord Rama to mark his birth anniversary this Sunday, water taken from 155 rivers of different countries, including Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and China, has reached Ayodhya.
The countries include Russia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Tibet, Tanzania, Nigeria, America, France, Germany, Britain, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Suriname, Ukraine, and Bangladesh.
The water, which has been stored in a decorated kalash (pot), will be poured on Lord Rama's idols amidst Sanskrit chants and prayers by priests as a part of Hindu religious rituals.
Uttar Pradesh State Chief Yogi Adityanath, who also serves as the chief priest of the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur city, will be performing the anointing ceremony to be held at Maniram Das Chawni Auditorium.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, along with the envoys of many countries and scores of devotees from across the nation, are set to be part of the congregation.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician and former legislator Vijay Jolly, the person behind the collection of water, told Indian media that they'd even received water from mostly-inaccessible places like Antarctica.
To procure water from Pakistan, Jolly shared that a Hindu community in the country first sent it to Dubai, and then from Dubai, it was brought to Delhi and then to Ayodhya.