Express News Service
AYODHYA: The sun is pretty hot in April afternoon in the temple town of Ayodhya. Devotees have finished with the morning shift of Ram Lalla’s darshan at the makeshift temple and it’s time for a three-hour ‘routine break’ for the deity. But a few paces away, over 350 men are on the job at a fast pace.
They have a deadline to meet: December 2023.
Over 75% of civil work on the first floor comprising the octagonal ‘sanctum sanctorum’ (garbha-griha) of the three-floor temple, has been completed and it is pacing towards meeting the deadline as Ram Lalla (the child form of Lord Ram) is expected to take a seat in the garbha griha around Makar Sankranti.
After that, the first floor of the temple will be opened for darshan in January 2024, while the work on the rest of the floors will continue. Sources at the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, overseeing the temple construction, say that the actual date of consecration of idols is expected to be announced in May last week which coincides with the birthday of trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
One of the biggest temples to be built in the country after Independence, the Ram Temple is scheduled to meet its final glory by the end of 2025.
A combination of new-age technological conveniences and age-old Indian traditions, the upcoming temple with three-floors, five ‘mandaps’ and seven ‘dwars’ (gates), would be housed in an area of 54,700 sq ft of the nearly 2.7-acre land on Ram Janmabhoomi premises.
However, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai says the size of the temple complex has been raised to 110 acres as compared to the 67-acre plot originally acquired by the trust.
“This has been done to incorporate the various religious and vaastu (Hindu architecture) elements. The entire temple complex comprising at least six more temples of other deities is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore,” says Rai.
Like the sanctum sanctorum, the Griha Mandap will be fully covered, while Keertan Mandap, Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap and the two Prarthana Mandaps on each side would be open areas.
Apart from the main temple, the complex will also house a museum, digital archives and a research centre. The temple is being built in Nagara style while the entrance on the east is in Gopuram style, representing the temples of south India.
The architectural aspect is being looked after by temple chief architect Chandrakant Bhai Sompura and his two sons Ashish and Nikhil, who have designed the famous Somnath temple and have many such assignments to their credit.
Vital stats
Till March 31, over Rs 5,000 cr was received by the temple trust
The Ram Lalla idol to be consecrated will measure 51 inches
Around 1,000 workers are busy carving the stones around the clock in Pindwara, Rajasthan
Temple Timeline
A grand temple of Lord Ram is coming up at a fast pace. Here’s a journey into time along with countless controversies:
1529: Babri mosque built by Mir Baqi.
1885: Mahant Raghubir Das files the first suit seeking to build a temple on land adjoining the mosque. Faizabad DM denies permission. The Mahant files a title suit in Faizabad court which rejects his plea.
1949: The ram idol appears inside the mosque. Hindus start offering prayers. Govt declares the site a “contested area,” locks entrance.
1950: Hindu sides file suits – two filed in Faizabad court by Gopal Simla Visharad and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das, seeking permission to conduct puja of Ram Lalla. The court allows it, but orders inner courtyard gates to remain locked.
1959: Nirmohi Akhara files suit, seeks possession of the land.
1961: UP Sunni Wakf Board files suit, demands removal of Ram Lalla’s idols from the Masjid.
1984: VHP forms group to start Ram Janmabhoomi movement. LK Advani made leader of the campaign.
1986: District judge orders removal of locks to allow pooja and darshan after lawyer UC Pandey’s appeal. Muslims form a Babri Mosque Action Committee.
1989: The then PM Rajiv Gandhi allows the VHP to perform Shilanayas near the disputed area. All title suits shifted to Allahabad HC. Another suit in name of Ram Lalla Virajman filed in HC.
1990: Advani launches Rath Yatra from Somnath (Gujarat) to Ayodhya. Riots break out.
1992: Babri demolished by a mob of Kar Sevaks who leave behind a makeshift temple. Liberhan Commission formed to look into demolition and riots within 3 months.
1993: Narasimha Rao govt issues ordinance acquiring 67.7 acres (site and adjoining areas). Later, passes it as a law.
2002: Ayodhya title suit case begins at Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC.
2003: Archaeological Survey of India begins excavation underneath the disputed site following HC directives. Finds remnants of a 10th century Hindu Temple. Muslims question the ASI report.
2009: Liberhan Commission report submitted after 17-year delay. Contents not made public.
2010: The Allahabad HC divides disputed land among three parties: one-third each for Sunni Wakf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman.
2011: SC stays Allahabad HC ruling.
2017: Ex-CJ Kehar suggests out-of-court settlement. The 3-judge bench of SC starts hearing.
2019: Justice Ranjan Gogoi, CJI, uses administrative powers to list the matter before a five-judge Constitution Bench, overturning the September 2018 judgment.
2019: After two days of hearings, the bench orders court-monitored mediation. The mediation was set to end in mid-May 2019.
Nov 9, 2019: SC accepts Ayodhya was the birthplace of Lord Ram, hands over the entire 2.77 acres of disputed land to the Central government and orders it to give 5-acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board as an alternate site for construction of the mosque.
Aug 5, 2020: PM Modi performs Bhumi Poojan and lays the foundation stone for the temple at birthplace of Lord Ram.
AYODHYA: The sun is pretty hot in April afternoon in the temple town of Ayodhya. Devotees have finished with the morning shift of Ram Lalla’s darshan at the makeshift temple and it’s time for a three-hour ‘routine break’ for the deity. But a few paces away, over 350 men are on the job at a fast pace.
They have a deadline to meet: December 2023.
Over 75% of civil work on the first floor comprising the octagonal ‘sanctum sanctorum’ (garbha-griha) of the three-floor temple, has been completed and it is pacing towards meeting the deadline as Ram Lalla (the child form of Lord Ram) is expected to take a seat in the garbha griha around Makar Sankranti.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
After that, the first floor of the temple will be opened for darshan in January 2024, while the work on the rest of the floors will continue. Sources at the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, overseeing the temple construction, say that the actual date of consecration of idols is expected to be announced in May last week which coincides with the birthday of trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
One of the biggest temples to be built in the country after Independence, the Ram Temple is scheduled to meet its final glory by the end of 2025.
A combination of new-age technological conveniences and age-old Indian traditions, the upcoming temple with three-floors, five ‘mandaps’ and seven ‘dwars’ (gates), would be housed in an area of 54,700 sq ft of the nearly 2.7-acre land on Ram Janmabhoomi premises.
However, temple trust general secretary Champat Rai says the size of the temple complex has been raised to 110 acres as compared to the 67-acre plot originally acquired by the trust.
“This has been done to incorporate the various religious and vaastu (Hindu architecture) elements. The entire temple complex comprising at least six more temples of other deities is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore,” says Rai.
Like the sanctum sanctorum, the Griha Mandap will be fully covered, while Keertan Mandap, Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap and the two Prarthana Mandaps on each side would be open areas.
Apart from the main temple, the complex will also house a museum, digital archives and a research centre. The temple is being built in Nagara style while the entrance on the east is in Gopuram style, representing the temples of south India.
The architectural aspect is being looked after by temple chief architect Chandrakant Bhai Sompura and his two sons Ashish and Nikhil, who have designed the famous Somnath temple and have many such assignments to their credit.
Vital stats
Till March 31, over Rs 5,000 cr was received by the temple trust
The Ram Lalla idol to be consecrated will measure 51 inches
Around 1,000 workers are busy carving the stones around the clock in Pindwara, Rajasthan
Temple Timeline
A grand temple of Lord Ram is coming up at a fast pace. Here’s a journey into time along with countless controversies:
1529: Babri mosque built by Mir Baqi.
1885: Mahant Raghubir Das files the first suit seeking to build a temple on land adjoining the mosque. Faizabad DM denies permission. The Mahant files a title suit in Faizabad court which rejects his plea.
1949: The ram idol appears inside the mosque. Hindus start offering prayers. Govt declares the site a “contested area,” locks entrance.
1950: Hindu sides file suits – two filed in Faizabad court by Gopal Simla Visharad and Paramhansa Ramachandra Das, seeking permission to conduct puja of Ram Lalla. The court allows it, but orders inner courtyard gates to remain locked.
1959: Nirmohi Akhara files suit, seeks possession of the land.
1961: UP Sunni Wakf Board files suit, demands removal of Ram Lalla’s idols from the Masjid.
1984: VHP forms group to start Ram Janmabhoomi movement. LK Advani made leader of the campaign.
1986: District judge orders removal of locks to allow pooja and darshan after lawyer UC Pandey’s appeal. Muslims form a Babri Mosque Action Committee.
1989: The then PM Rajiv Gandhi allows the VHP to perform Shilanayas near the disputed area. All title suits shifted to Allahabad HC. Another suit in name of Ram Lalla Virajman filed in HC.
1990: Advani launches Rath Yatra from Somnath (Gujarat) to Ayodhya. Riots break out.
1992: Babri demolished by a mob of Kar Sevaks who leave behind a makeshift temple. Liberhan Commission formed to look into demolition and riots within 3 months.
1993: Narasimha Rao govt issues ordinance acquiring 67.7 acres (site and adjoining areas). Later, passes it as a law.
2002: Ayodhya title suit case begins at Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC.
2003: Archaeological Survey of India begins excavation underneath the disputed site following HC directives. Finds remnants of a 10th century Hindu Temple. Muslims question the ASI report.
2009: Liberhan Commission report submitted after 17-year delay. Contents not made public.
2010: The Allahabad HC divides disputed land among three parties: one-third each for Sunni Wakf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla Virajman.
2011: SC stays Allahabad HC ruling.
2017: Ex-CJ Kehar suggests out-of-court settlement. The 3-judge bench of SC starts hearing.
2019: Justice Ranjan Gogoi, CJI, uses administrative powers to list the matter before a five-judge Constitution Bench, overturning the September 2018 judgment.
2019: After two days of hearings, the bench orders court-monitored mediation. The mediation was set to end in mid-May 2019.
Nov 9, 2019: SC accepts Ayodhya was the birthplace of Lord Ram, hands over the entire 2.77 acres of disputed land to the Central government and orders it to give 5-acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board as an alternate site for construction of the mosque.
Aug 5, 2020: PM Modi performs Bhumi Poojan and lays the foundation stone for the temple at birthplace of Lord Ram.
