Lucknow, Nov. 22 -- Vedic rituals began in Ayodhya on Friday for the mega five-day flag hoisting ceremony at Ram Mandir, which will end with Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisting the flag on the temple's spire on November 25. Priests from Ayodhya and Kashi began the rituals with the worship of the 'navagraha' (nine planets). The ritual includes offerings to the sacred fire (yajna) and the recitation of Vedic hymns, Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas. Anil Mishra, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, is representing the Trust along with his wife. He is the host during the five-day ceremony. The ceremony is a significant event, symbolising the triumph of righteousness and spirituality, said the Trust on Friday. According to the Trust, 108 eminent scholars and Vedic acharyas from Ayodhya, Kashi, and South India are conducting the religious rituals. On the first day of the ritual, the 'mandap pravesh' (entrance to the pavilion), 'mandap poojan' (worship of the pavilion), 'panchang poojan' (worship of the almanac), the invocation of the deities, and the lighting of the fire in the 'agnikund' (fire pit) took place. On November 25, Prime Minister Modi will hoist the flag on the temple's spire, marking a new era for Ayodhya, the Trust added. To mark the occasion, the state department of culture is organising a vibrant two-day cultural festival on November 24 and 25. The celebrations are expected to transform the temple town into a colourful stage of devotional music, classical dance, folk rhythms and traditional instruments, bringing Ayodhya's spiritual heartbeat to life. Across the ghats and temple surroundings, devotional singing and folk music from different regions of Uttar Pradesh are being performed....