Half the construction work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has been completed so far and the sanctum sanctorum and the first floor of the temple will be ready by December 2023, Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said on Tuesday.
According to Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, Lord Ram will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum by January 2024.
The construction of the temple kickstarted at a rapid pace after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020. PM Modi inspected the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra site on October 23 during his visit to Ayodhya this year.
Taking constant note of the progress of the construction, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is seeking reports on the progress of construction work every month, according to the release.
"It has been informed by Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Tuesday that 50 percent work of temple construction has been completed and by December 2023, the sanctum sanctorum and first floor of the temple will be ready," it said.
According to the release, the main entrance of the temple will be 'Singh Dwar'. Granite stones are being used in the temple area of 2.77 acres. There will be 392 pillars in the Ram temple. A total of 12 gates will be constructed. There will be 160 pillars in the sanctum sanctorum and 132 pillars on the first floor.
"The temple will have teak wooden gates. There will be no effect of earthquakes on the temple. There is no use of bars in the temple, work is being done to connect stones with copper leaves. 5 temples will be built within the temple walls, and Panchdev temple will be constructed. Also, Surya Dev Temple and Vishnu Devta Temple are being built. On the first floor, the lion gate will be constructed at the front entrance, the dance pavilion, the colour pavilion and the esoteric pavilion will be constructed in front of it," the release said.
Detailing the progress of the temple construction, Champat Rai said that the main temple will be 350X250 feet and ground floor work will be done by December 2023.
"The Prime Minister has said that it is being made but special attention will have to be paid to its security. Also, it has to be seen that after the construction of the temple, when the tourists come here, then 5 km will be covered. How much pressure will this have on the population? Its outline will be prepared after consultation with the state government on the instructions of the PM," Rai said.
He said that by 2024, one can expect to see Ram Lalla in public in the temple. At present work is going on in the octagonal sanctum. 500 huge stones have been laid here.
The secretary of the trust said that about 50 per cent work on the first floor of the temple has been completed. There will be a total of 160 pillars on the first floor of the temple, while there will be about 82 pillars on the second floor of the temple.
"There will be a total of 12 doors in the Ram temple. These doors will be made of teak wood. Its work is expected to be completed by December 2023. At the same time, Prana Pratishtha is expected on Makar Sankranti of 2024," he said.
The secretary informed that the stones are coming from Pindwara town of Sirohi district in Rajasthan for carving.
"The stones which have been carved are being brought here. At the same time, stones are also being brought from the workshop. Stones from Bharatpur used to come to the workshop from the time of the temple movement. Stone carvings have been done in Sompura for a long time. Apart from this, all the stones have also come from the workshop," he said.
Jagdish Aapde, the project manager of the temple construction work said that the sanctum sanctorum will not be damaged for a thousand years.
"When the PM had asked about the use of granite stones during the inspection, we told him that even a drop of water would not be absorbed by the granite. Due to this, there will be no damage to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple for a thousand years. On this, the PM said that if this temple is going to last for a thousand years, then this is the best work done," he said.
Citing PM Modi's idea for the temple, Apde also informed that the structure of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple should be such that the rays of the sun fall directly on Lord Ram on the day of Ram Navami.
"I myself will come to see this scene. We are making preparations according to the intention of the Prime Minister. Through CSI, we have designed it both mechanically and architecturally. It will be a matter of pride for us," Aapde said.
The project manager said that the Prime Minister has assured that he will come here again within two years and take stock of the work. However, a report of the progress of construction is sent every month to the Yogi government of the state.
(With inputs from ANI)
