Prime minister Narendra Modi will attend the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya which is scheduled on January 22, 2024. Modi shared this news on micro-blogging site X on October 25, 2023. During the pran-partisha ceremony, the idol of Ram Lalla will be installed in the sanctum- sanctorum (garbha-griha) of the temple. Devotees on the other hand will be allowed entry to the grand temple from January 24.
Construction of the Ram Temple Phase-I will be completed by December 30, 2023, chairman of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee Nripendra Mishra told media on May 22, 2023. Under Phase-I, the construction work on the ground floor, and the five pavilions would be completed, after which the temple will open for visitors, Mishra added.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Background
One of the biggest temples to be built in India after Independence, the Ram Temple is touted to be a combination of new-age technological conveniences and age-old Indian traditions. Housing.com News tells you about the grand structure that would change the landscape of Ayodhya as we know it.
Between 1528 and 1529, the Babri Masjid was built by the Mughal emperor Babur. However, members of the Hindu community also sought possession of the site, claiming it to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. The site subsequently became a disputed site and a long, legal battle ensued. Ending the title dispute on November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court accepted the 2.77 acres of disputed location as the birthplace of Lord Ram, paving the way for the construction of the Ram Mandir.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir foundation stone-laying ceremony
After the SC verdict, prime minister Narendra Modi performed the Bhumi Poojan ceremony on August 5, 2020 and laid the foundation stone of the temple.
Ayodhya Temple area and capacity
Spanning 54,700 sq ft, the temple area covers nearly 2.7 acres of land. The entire Ram Mandir Complex would be spread over nearly 70 acres and will be equipped to host about a million devotees at any time.
Ayodhya Ram Temple: Agency overseeing construction
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is supervising the temple’s construction.
Ayodhya Mandir: Estimated cost and funding
The construction work of the temple is likely to take between Rs 1,400 crore to Rs 1,800 crore. The temple trust is receiving between Rs 60-70 lakh in donations for building the grand temple, officials of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Nyas say.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Building material
Bansi Paharpur Sandstone
The superstructure of the Ram Mandir will be made of carved Rajasthan Bansi Paharpur stone, the rare pink marble stones, world-renowned for its beauty and strength.
It will require a total of 4 lakh sq ft of stone.
The Bansi Paharpur Sandstone is found in the Bayana Tehsil of Bharatpur District in Rajasthan and it is available in hues of pink and red.
The centre, in 2021, gave an in-principal approval to convert 398 hectares of protected forest land into revenue land to allow the mining of the pink sandstone in the vicinity of the Band Baretha Wildlife Sanctuary in Bharatpur, reversing the ban on mining put in place in 2016.
The Bansi Pahadpur Sandstone has been used in various grand structures of the country, including the Akshardham Temple, the Parliament Complex and the Lal Quila of Agra. Steel or bricks would not be used in the construction of the Ram Mandir.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Builders
While Larsen & Toubro are responsible for building the main structure, Tata Consultancy Engineers Ltd would develop the allied facilities.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Interior
Specifications: The upcoming temple is 360 ft long, 235 ft wide and 161 ft high. In height, the temple will three times the height of existing structure n the old city.
Style: The temple is designed by chief architect, Chandrakant Bhai Sompura, whose grandfather, Prabhakarji Sompura, had designed the Somnath Temple, along with his son, Ashish Sompura.
The 79-year-old architect was appointed in 1992. Sompura mentioned that the Ram Mandir is being built in the Nagara style, following the principles of Vastu Shastra. The entrance on the east would be built in the Gopuram style, which represents the temples of the south. The walls of the temple would display artworks depicting the life of Lord Ram.
Shape: The sanctorum of the mandir would be octagonal-shaped, while the structure perimeter would be circular.
Floors: The mandir will have five domes and one tower with a height of 161 ft. The 3-floor temple will have a centre – Garbh Griha – built to allow sun rays to fall on the idol of Ram Lalla, the infant embodiment of the Lord. Like the sanctorum, the Griha Mandap would be fully covered, while the Keertan Mandap, the Nritya Mandap, the Rang Mandap and the two Prarthana Mandaps on each side would be open areas.
The idol: There will be two idols of Lord Ram. One will be the actual idol found in 1949 and has been in the tent for decades. The other will be a huge statue which will be visible from a long distance, says Jagdish Afle, project manager of the ram Mandir construction work.
The temple bell: A 2,100-kg bell for the Ram Temple is being brought from Etah, a well-known destination for bell manufacturing in India. The 6-ft tall and 5-ft wide bell would cost Rs 21 lakh.
Ayodhya Ram Temple: Doors and window
To build the windows and doors, Teak wood (Sagwan) has been procured from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur. Not an ordinary wood, Teak has a life span of over 100 years. Work on building the grand doors and windows is expected to start between June 26 and 30 after a ceremonial ritual.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Lifespan
The grand structure is being built to have a lifespan of over 1,000 years. “Each material, which is being used…each design and drawing that is being used…is being done in IIT Chennai. They are the initiators. That is then tested by L&T and TCE. Finally, we have given the stability test for this agenda of 1,000 years to the Central Research Building Institute.
The CRBI has tested the entire load that will come onto the structure through simulations. In short, we are dependent on the best brains of this country. There is just one objective – how to make this temple durable for 1,000 years and unique,” Nripendra Misra, the chairman of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s temple construction committee, told Asianet News in an exclusive interview.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Opening date
The UP state government plans to open the Ayodhya Ram Mandir to devotees in January 22, 2024.
Number of pilgrims to Ayodhya Ram Mandir
Over 50,000 people visit the temple every day. This number is expected to increase to 100,000 once the temple is inaugurated.
Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Timeline
1528-1529: Mughal emperor Babur builds Babri Masjid
1850s: Start of communal violence over the land
1949: Ram Idol found inside the mosque, intensifying communal tension
1950: Two suits filed in Faizabad civil court seeking permission to worship the idol
1961: UP Sunni Central Wakf Board demands the removal of the idol
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986: District Court opens the site for Hindu worshippers
1992: Babri masjid demolished on December 6
2010: Allahabad HC rules three-way division of disputed area among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla
2011: SC stays Allahabad HC order
2016: Subramanian Swamy files plea in SC, seeks the construction of Ram Temple
2019: SC accepts Ayodhya was the birthplace of Lord Ram, hands over the entire 2.77 acres of disputed land to the trust and orders the government to give 5-acre land to Sunni Waqf Board as an alternate site
2020: PM Modi performs Bhumi Poojan and lays the foundation stone
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