Ram Temple: The childish idol of Lord Ram will be installed in sanctum sanctorum

An idol of Lord Ram in his childish form (Ram Lalla) will be installed in the pure white Makrana marble sanctum sanctorum of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya next month, the temple trust said on Wednesday.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Minister Champat Rai said that a 150cm idol of Lord Ram, reflecting a five-year-old child – Ram Lalla – would be selected from three designs. “The one who has the best divinity and will exhibit a child's look will be selected,” he said.

Champat Rai while describing the map of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple said that a total of 21-22 lakh cubic feet of stone has been used in the construction of the entire structure. “Such a large stone structure would not have been built in northern India in the last 100 to 200 years, even in the south,” he said.

“A 56-layer artificial rock foundation made by engineers has been laid beneath the structure. Secondly, a plinth of 17,000 granite blocks from Karnataka and Telangana has been laid up to 6 meters above the ground. About five million cubic meters of Pink sandstone from Bharatpur, Rajasthan has been used to build the temple structure. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is made of pure white Makrana marble, which is ready,” he told reporters here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22. Preparations are in full swing for the event, which will attract dignitaries and people from all walks of life.

The trust secretary said the temple will be built on the northern part of the 70-acre land, which was handed over to Hindus by the Supreme Court in 2019.

“A three-storey temple is being built here. Work on the ground floor of the temple has been completed, the first floor is under construction. The temple is enclosed by a quadrangular wall – Prakara – with a running length of almost 750 meters. meters,” Rai said.

He said the unique thing about the wall that protects the temple is that it is four meters wide.

“The Prakara will also have two floors, with devotees being allowed to do the Parikrama (circulation) of the temple on the top floor,” he said.

The Prakara is under construction and it may take another six to eight months, Rai added.

Briefing about the facilities for the pilgrims visiting the temple, he said, “Lockets have been made for 25,000 pilgrims at the Pilgrimage Facility Center (PFC). A small hospital will also be built near the PFC. A huge complex has also been made for the pilgrims for toilets and other facilities, two sewage treatment plants are also being made here where the waste material from this complex will be processed.”

Secretary Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra said that electricity supply has been taken directly from the power plant.

“We have taken a direct dedicated line from the power station, 33 kW, the receiving station and three distribution stations have been built in the premises. There will be no pressure on the electric line of the municipal corporation,” he added.

The trust secretary said that in case the fire brigade needs water, an underground water reservoir has also been dug near the structure.

“If necessary, we get water from the Saryu River or from the ground. But groundwater only goes into the ground. Here, more than 20 hectares of land are being built on and 50 hectares are green. These trees are a hundred years old “There are such dense forests where the sun's rays do not reach the ground. So the water level of the country will never drop. No water will enter Saryu, we are working on a zero discharge policy,” he added. .

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in the temple town on Saturday to inaugurate the Ayodhya airport and railway station, which are being specially revamped on the temple model.

First print: December 27, 2023 | 2:47 PM IST