Ayodhya, Jan 11 (IANS): A grand ‘Ram Naam Maha Yagya’ to establish 1,008 Narmadeshwar Shivlings, will be held on the bank of Saryu River in Ayodhya from January 14 to 25.

Sources said that 21,000 priests from Nepal will arrive to conduct the Maha Yagya for which 1,008 huts have already been raised to place the Shivlings, along with a grand mandap, which has 11 layers of roof.

A tent city has been established on 100 acres on the sand ghat of Saryu River, 2 km away from Ram temple.

The Maha Yagya will be organised by Atmanand Das Maha Tyagi also known as Nepali Baba, who hails from Ayodhya but is now settled in Nepal.

"I do this yagna every year on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, but this year, we have scaled it up in view of the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony," he said.

According to him, arrangements are being made to accommodate 50,000 devotees every day and a feast will be organised for about 1 lakh devotees per day.

After the Maha Yagna is over, 1,008 Shivlings will be immersed in the Saryu River.

During the Maha Yagya, 'havan' will start from January 17 with the chanting of 24,000 verses of Ramayan, which will continue till January 25.

Every day, the Shivlings will be anointed with ‘panchamrit’ and 1,100 couples will perform havan with recital of Ram Mantras in 100 ponds built at Yagyashala.

He said that for the carving of Shivlings, stones have been brought from Narmada River of Madhya Pradesh.

“The carving work will be completed before January 14,” he added.

Atmanand Das Maha Tyagi claimed that the Nepal King had named him 'Nepali Baba'.