Rare rocks reach Ayodhya for construction of Lord Ram's idol
A couple of rare stones reached Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya on Thursday from Nepal, out of which a statue of Lord Ram and Goddess Janaki will be built and placed in the Ram Mandir sanctum sanctorum. Rajendra Singh Pankaj, the national secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, reportedly brought the shipment of the two Shaligram rocks from Nepal's Mustang district.
Why does this story matter?
- In February 2020, following an order from the Supreme Court, construction of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya commenced on the site of the Babri Mosque.
- The temple holds utmost significance for Hindus because Ayodhya is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.
- Once completed, the temple, estimated to cost Rs 18,000 crore, will be the world's third-largest Hindu shrine.
Know about the arrival of Shaligram rocks in Ayodhya
The reported 60 million-year-old Shaligram rocks arrived in Ayodhya on two different trucks. While one of them weighs 26 tonnes, the other one is around 14 tonnes in weight. According to ANI, priests and locals welcomed the rare rocks and decorated them with garlands. They also offered rituals before handing them over to the temple trust.
Visuals of the two holy rocks arriving in Ayodhya
Both rocks found in Gandaki river: Officials
Officials said that the rocks were found in the Gandaki river near Saligrama (place of salvation) in the Mustang district of Nepal. An idol of Lord Ram's youthful form will be carved from this stone and placed in the temple's sanctum sanctorum, roughly scheduled to be ready by January next year during the Makar Sankranti festival.
Photos of the two rocks in Ayodhya
Rocks brought from height of 6,000 feet above sea level
"There is a waterfall named Kali Gandaki in Nepal. It originates from Damodar Kund and is around 85 km north of Ganeshwar Dham Gandki," Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai said. "Both these boulders have been brought from there. The place is situated at a height of 6,000 feet above sea level," he added.
Meeting chaired to review progress of Ram Mandir's construction
On Saturday, the Ram Mandir building construction committee's two-day meeting took place in Ayodhya. As per media reports, the progress of the temple's construction work was discussed and reviewed. Furthermore, the carving and installation of the new Lord Ram statue were also discussed. The meeting was headed by construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra and attended by Trustee Anil Mishra and Trust Secretary Champat Rai.
