Ayodhya Temple Opening: More Than One Ram Lalla Idol Being Carved; Best Would Be Installed, Claims Report

Three sculptors are reportedly engaged in the carving of Shri Ram Lalla murtis, and the best out of the three murtis will be installed in the Ayodhya Ram temple's sanctum sanctorum during the consecration ceremony in January 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present for the ceremony.

The murtis are being sculpted inside three identical tin structures located meters apart in Ramsevak Puram, Indian Express reported citing sources.

The three workshops, located on VHP-controlled land, are rectangular structures with walls and roofs made of corrugated tin sheets.

They have a wrap-around grill for ventilation and are round-the-clock guarded by armed state police and private security personnel.

According to Nripendra Misra, head of the Trust's construction committee, a 51-inch murti, depicting Lord Ram as a 4-5 year-old child will be installed.

Misra had said, “The sanctum sanctorum or the garbha griha is on the ground floor. This is where the Lord will be in standing pose, 51 inches, roughly 4-5 years in age, on a lotus, with something in a manner that attains the height of 8 feet… work is being done to bring the light being funnelled such that it falls on the Lord’s forehead on Ram Navmi day," Misra had said, IE reported.

"So, experts are (working out the parameters) factoring in the movement of the Earth around the Sun for 19 years. This will ensure that we can modulate, manually, so that on Ram Navmi day, the sunlight actually falls on the Lord’s forehead at 12 noon. This is being worked out by experts at Central Building Research Institute and the astronautical institute in Pune," he added.

The sculptors at Ramsevak Puram are reportedly taking their time to ensure perfection in creating the murtis.

“According to shastras, the idol of Ram Lalla should be beautiful and appear like his incarnation. The arms should be ajanubahu (reaches the knees), the eyes and ears attractive in shape and size, and the cheeks must appear soft. That is why it is taking time to make these idols,” IE quoted a source as saying.

Further, the deadline for completing the three murtis have been set in the month of October.

The sculptors responsible for creating the murtis are from Bengaluru, Mysore, and Jaipur. They have been instructed not to interact with the locals and are prohibited from sharing any details about the murtis they are working on, the IE report said.

The police and security guards at these workshops reportedly have strict instructions to keep unauthorised individuals out.

Only Trust office-bearers, sculptors, and supporting artisans are allowed to enter the workshops, which are always locked from the inside.

Adjacent to the first workshop, there is another tin structure called Ram Katha Kunj.

A CCTV camera has been installed at the entrance of Ram Katha Kunj to monitor the workshop.

At Ram Katha Kunj, the VHP has commissioned sculptor Ranjeet Mandal to create 151 sculptures depicting various phases of Lord Ram's life, from Ayodhya to Lanka.

According to Mandal, he has only heard from others about a Ram murti being made in the workshop next door. He has never been inside, as only the sculptor is allowed access.

Inside the workshop, the sculptor has reportedly placed a photograph of Lord Ram on a table. However, the actual carving of the murti is being done under another layer of cover.

Just 150 meters away from this workshop, there is a second tin-sheet structure where another murti is being made.

A third murti is currently being carved in a corrugated tin-sheet structure located approximately 200 meters away from the second workshop.

When asked about the murtis, Champat Rai, the general-secretary of the Trust, stated that the work is in progress.

He mentioned that the three sculptors are working on them at undisclosed locations in Ayodhya, and no one is allowed to visit these workshops.