The stone laying ceremony for Ram Temple will take place on August 5 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, and 175 eminent guests have been invited for the ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UP Governor Anandibel Patel and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat are some of the guests, who are likely to be present at the event.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple on August 5 in his first ever visit to the site. The foundation stone, a silver brick, reportedly weighs 40 kgs. 

The invites have been sent out from the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust to 175 people for the ‘bhoomi pujan‘. The first invitation was sent to Iqbal Qadri, who was one of the litigants in the land dispute case of Ayodhya. 

“It’s Lord Ram wish that I receive the first invitation. I accept it,” news agency ANI reported quoting Qadri. 

Padma Shri Mohammad Sharif, known for holding last rites of over 5,000 unclaimed bodies, has also been invited to the ceremony. 

Sharif and Qadri are among three Muslim invitees of the ceremony. The third invitee is Zufar Ahmed Faruqi, chairman of Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board (UPSCWB). Faruqi is also the head of a 15-member trust that is helming the construction of a mosque at the five-acre disputed site in Ayodhya. 

Champat Rai, general secretary of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust on Monday said he also invited Punam Kothari, sister of two kar sevaks who died in police firing in October 1990.  

He said he wanted to invite more Kar Sevaks but has only invited local kar sevaks and Punam Kothari due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The function, organised by the Uttar Pradesh CM, will not see key faces like veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani, Uma Bharti and Murli Manohar Joshi.  All three are also accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. 

Joshi and Advani will reportedly be present virtually for the event. However, Uma Bharti will visit the site after the ceremony.