Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Ram Temple Trust, has disclosed essential details about the idol of Lord Ram scheduled for installation in the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The idol, representing Lord Ram as a five-year-old child (Ram Lalla), has been meticulously crafted from dark-colored stone, standing at a height of 51 inches.
Rai shared, “The idol made of Lord Shri Ram Lalla is in the form of a five-year-old child. The statue is 51 inches tall, made of black stone, and is very attractively made,” during a media briefing on Saturday.
The placement of the idol of Lord Ram will be on the ground of the temple, while the idols of Lord Ram’s brothers, Sita, and Hanuman, will find their place on the first floor of the grand temple. Rai mentioned that the installation of these additional idols is expected to take approximately eight months.
The ‘Ram Lalla’ idol, intricately carved by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj, is slated for installation in the Ayodhya Ram Temple on January 22. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust is yet to make a formal announcement regarding the selection of the idol. Worship of the idol is set to commence on January 16, with installation in the sanctum sanctorum scheduled for January 18.
Rai highlighted the unique design considerations, stating, “The length of Lord Shri Ram’s idol and the height of its installation have been designed in such a way on the advice of eminent space scientists of India that every year on Ram Navami, the ninth date of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month, Lord Surya himself will anoint Shri Ram as sunrays will directly fall on his forehead at 12 noon making it shine.”
Emphasizing the selection process, Rai mentioned that the idol of Lord Ram was chosen considering facial softness, the look in the eyes, smile, and overall body features, ensuring that water and milk will not adversely affect the stone.
The grand consecration ceremony of the Ram temple is scheduled for January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding over the event. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and several other dignitaries will be present. Over 7,000 people have been invited to the ceremony by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust. The temple will be open to devotees starting January 23.
