The statue of Ramlalla, which will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhya’s Ram temple, is almost complete and will be handed over to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by October 31, said Vipin Bhadouriya, from one of the three teams of sculptors engaged in the task.
“Our idol made of black stone will be the world’s most beautiful statue of Lord Ram, more beautiful than what was imagined. The beauty of the idol would leave people mesmerised," said Bhadouriya, who has been working around-the-clock with his mentor, Ganesh Bhatt, an eminent sculptor from Karnataka.
“I am happy that our efforts have yielded some good results. Our work is on the verge of completion. After some finishing touches, the idol will be handed over to the trust by the end of this month," he said.
BEST OUT OF THREE IDOLS TO MAKE IT TO GARBHAGRIHA
Bhadouriya is not the only one who is preparing the idol. Officials with the trust said that three idols are being made using three special stones and the finest one would find a place in the ‘garbhagriha’, while the remaining two would be placed in another temple.
“Three sculptors have been roped in for making the idol. They are making the idol in Ayodhya itself using three different stones," said Champat Rai, general secretary of the temple’s trust.
Officials with the trust said that their idol will be based on the sketch of internationally acclaimed artist Vasudeo Kamath, who hails from Karnataka’s Karkala town and whose paintings from Ramayana series are acclaimed worldwide.
51-INCH TALL BALSWAROOP
“It depicts a balswaroop (infant) Ram, as a five-year-old, standing on a lotus, carrying a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. Besides, the statue would also have fine carvings and designs. All signs related to Lord Ram are carved on the statue that will be 51 inches tall. It’s the finest work that can ever be done," Bhadouriya said.
IDOLS MADE USING ‘KRISHNA SHILA’
Of the three, two teams — Bhadouriya and his mentor Bhatt, and Arun Yogiraj from Mysore – have used ‘Krishna Shila’ (black stone) from Karnataka to make the idol.
Officials said the most attractive and durable sculptures are made with Krishna Shila, which is one of the finest stones used for sculptures. Krishna Shila is found in the areas around Karkala, a small town in Karnataka, around 60 km from Mangalore. “The stone, weighing 10 tonnes, 6 feet wide, 4 feet thick and almost one feet long, was specially brought from Nellikaru village in Karkala, almost a month ago," a trust official said.
ONE IDOL MADE USING MAKRANA MARBLE
Meanwhile, Satya Narayan Pandey and his son Shilpi from Jaipur have used an ‘A-class’ stone or marble from Makrana. Officials with the trust said that Rajasthani Makrana marble has always been used to carve out beautiful sculptures of gods and goddesses. “Makrana marble is used for its durability, translucency and fine grains. It is ‘weatherproof’, as it is resistant to erosion and weathering, which makes it ideal for outdoor sculptures and statues," officials added.
FATE OF DEVSHILAS FROM NEPAL YET TO BE DECIDED
The trust is not using the massive two stones, weighing 14 and 26 tonnes, which arrived from Nepal on January 2, for construction of an idol.
“The two Devshilas were gifted to us by Nepal. These stones were calcite and quartzite and were procured from Gandaki river in Muktinath area of Himalayan region. However, after consulting many seers, priests and experts, the trust decided not to use the Devshila from Nepal. It was a difficult decision to take," Champat Rai said.
However, the trust is yet to decide what would be done with the Devshila.
IDOL TO BE TAKEN THROUGH LANES OF AYODHYA, GIVEN SARYU BATH
Trust officials elaborated on the procedure before the consecration (pran pratishtha) ceremony of the idol, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take part, on January 22.
Prior to the consecration ceremony, a grand procession will be taken out through the streets of Ayodhya, in which the idol of Lord Ram will be placed on a special chariot being prepared for the day. “The scholars from Kashi will worship River Saryu and give a holy dip to the idol amid the chants of special mantras and hymns. On the main and final day, the idol will be installed in the garbhagriha," they said.
In the backdrop of the ongoing idol-making exercise, the work of the construction of Ram temple, too, is approaching its completion. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently visited Ayodhya to review the progress of the construction work. He has directed the agencies engaged in the work to ensure that it is completed within the stipulated period of time.
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