‘Construction plan for Ayodhya Ram Temple started being drawn 32 years ago’

Ram Temple’s Chief Architect Chandrakant Sompura said Thursday that the construction plan for a grand ‘Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir’ had commenced 32 years ago. Recalls the process leading to the construction of the temple at Ayodhya, Somoura said: “32 years ago, Ashok Singhal took me with him and told me to prepare a plan for the Ram Mandir to be constructed. At that time, there was a structure and we were not even allowed to take measurements. We measured the area with our feet and estimated the area of the place…” “We decided on a plan which was later displayed in the Kumbh Mela… Then the work slowed down for some years… After the court’s order, we were asked to hurry up and were asked to build it a lot bigger now… More than 50% of the work is complete… We lost hope at some time whether the temple would be built or not… VHP said that the 6x3 feet area of the birth was acceptable otherwise there would be no temple…," Sompura added. The consecration ceremony or ‘pran pratishtha’ of Ram temple in Ayodhya is expected to take place on 22 January 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take part in the Ram Temple’s consecration ceremony-related event on any day between 20-24 January 2024, PTI quoted Construction Committee Chairperson Nripendra Mishra as saying. “The administration has enhanced security for the Prime Minister, who is scheduled to visit Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony. I would like to appeal to everyone not to visit Ayodhya during this time. It would be better for them to plan their visit in February," General Secretary of Ram Mandir Trust, Champat Rai of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had said earlier. The temple construction committee has said a huge rush is expected on 22 January next year when the ceremony will take place. The trust has urged people to see it from their homes, and villages (via television broadcast). Meanwhile, a formal invitation will be sent to PM Modi from the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the consecration ceremony during which the idol of Ram Lalla will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The temple trust has decided to start the process of the consecration of Ram Lalla after Makar Sankranti on 14 January and observe a 10-day ritual of Ram Lalla’s ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration). The Ram Temple in Ayodhya is likely to open for devotees on 24 January 2024, after the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol.