First Ram temple opens in Mexico, American priest performs 'Pran Pratishtha'

New York, Jan 22 : Corresponding with the grand temple opening ceremony in Ayodhya today, the city of Queretaro in Mexico got its first temple dedicated to Lord Ram with its 'pran pratishtha' ceremony being performed by an American priest.

The idols were procured from India and the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony was attended by people from the Indian as well as the Mexican community, the Indian embassy said in a post shared on X.

"On the eve of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at Ayodhya, city of Queretaro in Mexico gets the first Lord Ram temple," the embassy said, adding that the city also hosts the first Lord Hanuman temple.

"The atmosphere was filled with divine energy as the hymns & songs sung by the Indian diaspora reverberated throughout the hall".

According to Indian embassy data, the Indian community in Mexico is small, numbering about 8000 with about one third of them in Mexico City, and the rest spread in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Cuernavaca, Queretaro, Cancun etc.

While the bulk is formed by IT professionals, others comprise executives of Indian and international companies, academicians, and businesspersons mostly in pharmaceuticals, textile and garment business.

In 2016, an ‘Indian Association of Mexico (IAM)’ was registered locally, which commands good membership and support of the community, according to the Indian Embassy.

India marked the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, including politicians, celebrities, industrialists, saints and around 100 representatives from different countries.

Prime Minister Modi, who broke his 11-day fast after concluding the rituals, said addressing a gathering of thousands of people in Ayodhya that after years of struggle, "Ram Lalla (child Lord Ram) is here”.

Ahead of today's ceremony, the idol of Ram Lalla underwent ritualistic bathing using 114 pitchers filled with "aushadhiyukt" -- water infused with medicinal properties -- along with sacred water from different pilgrimage sites, according to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.