The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla concluded on Monday, January 22, 2024. There were celebrations across the country to mark Lord Ram’s return to the throne in Ayodhya, his birthplace. ‘Ram Nagri’ Ayodhya also grabbed global eyeballs, with earthen lamps lit up on a massive scale and crackers going up and dazzling the night sky in different parts of the city.
Interesting Facts About Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir
In the sanctum sanctorum on the ground floor, the childhood form of Bhagwan Shri Ram (the idol of Shri Ramlalla) is enthroned. The 51-inch Ram Lalla idol has been built by 41-year-old sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru. As the Ram Mandir opens to devotees, let’s check out 12 interesting facts about the temple.
1. The grand Ram Mandir has been built in the traditional Nagara style, using pink sandstone from Mirzapur and the hills of Bansi-Paharpur area in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.
2. The built-up area of the temple is nearly 57,400 square feet. The total width is 250 feet and the height is 161 feet.
3. The temple has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore.
4. The mandir boasts of 390 pillars, 46 doorways and 5 mandaps. In the sanctum sanctorum, idols of Ram Lalla are placed. Ram Mandir also has different mandaps, including Rang Mandap and Nritya Mandap. The Ram Darbar will be on the first floor.
5. There are three floors in total, with each floor having a height of around an impressive 20 feet.
Also Read: Ram Mandir Inauguration: 10 Valuable Life Lessons From Lord Rama’s Life
6. Devotees will enter the temple through Singh Dwar. To reach the door, they have to climb 32 steps, which means they will scale nearly 16.11 feet from ground level.
7. According to reports, the temple complex will also have mandirs dedicated to Maharshi Valmiki, Maharshi Vashishtha, Maharshi Vishwamitra, Maharshi Agastya, Nishad Raj, Mata Shabri, among others.
9. A 21-foot-high plinth has been constructed using granite to prevent moisture from impacting the construction.
10. The Ram temple has a Surya Tilak mechanism. On every Ram Navami, at 12 noon, a system of mirrors and lenses will focus the rays of the sun on the forehead of Ram Lalla’s idol. This particular mechanical system requires makes use of brass instead of iron and steel. Also, no electricity or battery is needed.
11. As per reports, no iron has been used in the construction of the Ram Mandir.
12. Interestingly, a delegation from Sri Lanka visited Ayodhya and gifted a rock from the Ashok Vatika. This historic garden was believed to be in Ravan’s kingdom and it was where he held Mata Sita in captivity.