YS Sharmila, founder president of YSR Telangana Party and sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, will be joining the Congress this week, sources have said. This comes shortly after the Congress swept the Assembly polls in Telangana, ending the Bharat Rashtra Samithi dominance in the state.

According to sources, the Congress leadership will give Ms Sharmila an important role in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the state polls next year, alongside the Lok Sabha election. The move, it is learnt, is aimed at reviving the Congress in Andhra Pradesh. The party hopes that those willing to leave YSRCP may now join the Congress at a time key opposition party Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is struggling to hold its influence.

Ms Sharmila first hit headlines back in 2012 when Telangana had not been carved out of Andhra Pradesh. Against the backdrop of the statehood movement gathering steam, her brother Jagan Mohan Reddy parted ways with the Congress and formed YSCRP. He was joined by 18 MLAs and a Congress MP resigned. This paved the way for several bypolls. With Mr Reddy in jail after being arrested on corruption charges, his mother YS Vijayamma and sister YS Sharmila led the campaign. The YSCRP swept the polls.

Nine years later, in 2021, Ms Sharmila said she had political differences with her brother. She also stressed that YSRCP has no presence in Telangana. In July that year, she announced the formation of the YSR Telangana Party and started campaigning against the erstwhile K Chandrashekar Rao-led government.

Earlier this year, Ms Sharmila had announced that she would not contest the Telangana election. She had then said that the Congress is well-placed to win the election and she did not want to undermine it.

The Ram Lalla idol that will adorn the grand temple in Ayodhya has been finalised, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has said, adding that it has been carved by renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj. A formal announcement by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra trust, which is overseeing the temple construction, is awaited.

Mr Joshi’s post on X, titled “Hanuman is where Ram is”, said the fact that the idol chosen for the temple has been carved by a sculptor from Karnataka, “the land of Hanuman”, shows the bond between Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman.

Hindu mythological texts place Hanuman’s birthplace in present-day Karnataka. In Valmiki’s Ramayana, Lord Hanuman tells Sita that he was born in Gokarna, now in Uttara Kannada district. It’s also believed that Anjanadri Parvatha, a hill on the left bank of Tungabhadra river and close to Hampi, is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.

“ಎಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮನೋ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಹನುಮನು”

ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಪ್ರಾಣ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನಾ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ವಿಗ್ರಹ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಅಂತಿಮಗೊಂಡಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ನಾಡಿನ ಹೆಸರಾಂತ ಶಿಲ್ಪಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ಶ್ರೀ @yogiraj_arun ಅವರು ಕೆತ್ತಿರುವ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ವಿಗ್ರಹ ಪುಣ್ಯಭೂಮಿ ಅಯೋಧ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪನೆಗೊಳ್ಳಲಿದೆ. ರಾಮ ಹನುಮರ ಅವಿನಾಭಾವ ಸಂಬಂಧಕ್ಕೆ ಇದು… pic.twitter.com/VQdxAbQw3Q

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) January 1, 2024

“Ram is where Hanuman is. The selection of the idol for the Prana Pratishtapana of Lord Rama in Ayodhya has been finalised. Renowned sculptor of our country, our proud Mr @yogiraj_arun. The idol of Lord Rama carved by him will be installed in Ayodhya. This is another example of Rama Hanuman’s inextricable relationship. There is no mistaking that this is an important service to Ramlallani from Karnataka, the land of Hanuman,” the minister said in the post in Kannada.

The sanctum sanctorum of the grand Ram Temple will have a 51-inch idol depicting a five-year-old Ram Lalla. Three designs were under consideration. The trust met Friday to vote on the three entries. On being asked about the parameters of the selection process, trust member Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra told news agency ANI that the “idol speaks to you and you get mesmerised”. 

Speaking on the selection criteria, secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai had told news agency ANI, “The one with the most divine look and bearing a distinct impression of Ram Lalla would be selected for Pran Pratishtha.”

Pran Pratishtha refers to the consecration ceremony on January 22, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The family of Karnataka sculptor Arun Yogiraj is delighted by the reports that his idol has been selected for installation in the Ayodhya temple. The sculptor’s wife Vijetha Yogiraj told NDTV, “We are thrilled and excited. We feel that our desires have been fulfilled. It’s like a dream come true.”

The sculptor, she said, is extremely dedicated to his craft. “He works for 10 hours daily. For projects with national importance, he has worked round the clock. There is no room for error when he is carving. He creates a masterpiece every time,” she said.

Ms Yogiraj said her husband had spoken to her about the big task to make Ram Lalla’s idol. “He had said it’s difficult, but he will keep carving till he found Lord Ram in the idol. He had said Lord Ram will help him.”

Members of the Ram Temple trust refused to confirm that the Karnataka sculptor’s entry has been chosen. A member of the trust told NDTV that “everything is speculation” till Mr Rai makes an official announcement. Sources said Mr Rai, secretary of the temple trust, will hold a press meet to announce which idol has been selected.

Preparations are in full swing at the Mumbai residences of Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta as their daughter Ira Khan gears up for her upcoming wedding on January 3. Pictures circulating online showcase their decked-up homes. Aamir’s house spanning two floors is adorned with enchanting fairy lights. Reena’s residence also boasts floral embellishments and lights, setting the scene for the pre-wedding festivities.

Ira herself has been sharing snippets from these ceremonies on her Instagram handle, giving followers a peek into the celebrations. The Maharashtrian Kelvan ceremony kicked off the festivities, drawing in family and friends. Among the attendees were Aamir’s former spouse Kiran Rao and their son Azad Rao Khan, captured in a video enjoying dinner alongside other guests.