Leading up to the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, just days away from now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting temples with some connection to Lord Ram during his official visits to states.

In the past week, the PM has visited different states to unveil developmental projects or to carry out party activities, but the messaging has been linked to Lord Ram.

On Wednesday, the PM, who is in the middle of 11-day rituals leading up to the inauguration, offered prayers at Lord Krishna Temple in the Guruvayur town of Thrissur district, where he also attended the wedding of the daughter of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi.

He then went to the Triprayar Sree Ramaswamy Temple, situated on the bank of the Karuvannur river, also known as Theevra river, in Thrissur. Dressed in a mundu (dhoti) and ‘veshti’ (white shawl), the PM carried out a meen oottu (fish feeding) ritual there.

This visit to Kerala by Modi, the second one in two weeks, is being widely seen as a way of energising the BJP cadre ahead of the 2024 elections — with the temple visit ahead of the consecration in Ayodhya adding to the importance.

During his last week to Kerala, a couple of days ago, Modi had spoken of Kerala’s annual ‘Nalambalam Yatra’, held for Ram and his brothers Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrughan, in Triprayar.

On Tuesday, the PM visited the Veerabhadra temple in the Lepakshi town of Sri Satyasai district of Andhra Pradesh. Lepakshi is the place where the mythical vulture Jatayu is said to have fallen when he was wounded by Ravan in his efforts to stop the abduction of Sita.

Modi hummed bhajans for Ram, listened to special hymns on Ram in Telugu, and also witnessed a puppet show on the Ramayana at the Lepakshi temple.

Later, inaugurating the new campus of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics in the Satyasai district, Modi again brought up the Ram temple.

He noted that the entire country “is steeped in devotion ahead of the Pran Pratishtha event at Ayodhya temple on January 22” and said the “the expanse of Lord Ram’s life, his inspiration is much beyond devotion and is a symbol of good governance in social life”.

On Friday (January 12), the PM had visited the Kalaram Mandir on the banks of the Godavari in the Panchavati area of the city. Apart from one of the places that Ram visited during his exile, Panchavati is believed to have be the site of many events described in the Ramayana, including the abduction of Sita.

As part of the rituals the PM is undertaking for 11 days before the consecration, he fed cows at his residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, on the occasion of Pongal / Makar Sankranti on January 14 as photgraps capturing his every move.

Party sources said this just the start and that more such Ayodhya-linked plans are in the offing.