Context:
The Pran Pratishtha program, which commemorates Shri Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha, is scheduled for 22 January 2024.
About Ram Mandir:
At the heart of Ayodhya’s cultural and religious identity lies the magnificent Ram mandir, a symbol of devotion and faith for millions.
Followed by the consecration ceremony (pran pratishtha) of Ram Lalla in the sanctum-sanctorum (garbha-griha), the temple will be open for the devotees from January 24.
Followed by the consecration ceremony (pran pratishtha) of Ram Lalla in the sanctum-sanctorum (garbha-griha), the temple will be open for the devotees from January 24.
The original design for Ram Mandir was planned in 1988 by the Sompura family of Ahmedabad. However, it went through certain changes in 2020, in reference to the Vastu shastra and the Shilpa shastras.
The Sompuras have contributed to the design of over 100 temples worldwide for at least 15 generations, including the Somnath temple.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple construction is managed wholly by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Characteristics of Nagara Style of Architecture:
Gurjart Chalukya architecture belongs to the Nagara style of temple architecture.
Mandapas: they are the gathering places in front of the main shrine. Unlike in South India, they rarely have extensive boundary walls or gateways.
Shikhara: It is a temple tower, with a rectangular or square base and varying height and width. The garbhagriha is always located directly under the shikhara.
Amalak: The shikara’s vertical end leads to a horizontal fluted disc, known as amalak. On top, a spherical form known as a kalash is affixed.
Vahana: It refers to the major deity’s mount, commonly located in the line of sight from Garbhagriha.
Mandapas: The temple will attribute five mandapas in the sanctum sanctorum and doorway.
- Examples of Nagara temples in India include the Sun Temple in Konark and Modhera, Gujarat.
Temple Architecture:
- The Ram temple will be the world’s third-largest Hindu shrine complex, measuring 235 feet (72 meters) in width, 360 feet (110 meters) in length, and 161 feet (49 meters) in height once completed.
- The temple’s architect is Chandrakant Bhai Sompura (who also designed Gujarat’s Akshardham temple).
- The design is in the Nagara Style, influenced by the Gujara-Chalukya style of architecture.
- The temple’s 360 pillars in the Nagar style enhance its visual attractiveness and architectural sophistication. Ram Mandir’s design structure suggests that it will become India’s largest temple.
- The temples are built with stone or brick on a square or rectangular plane with a shikhara located in the centre.
- The Mandir is three-storied, with each floor being 20 feet tall.
Granite Stone used:
- Foundation built with 14-metre-thick layer of roller-compacted concrete, giving it appearance of artificial rock.
- 21-foot-high granite plinth to protect against ground moisture.
- No iron has been used any where
- In this architectural style, the temple is surrounded by small towers called Mukha Mandapa.
- Shri Ram Darbar on the first floor.
- Emphasis on environmental and water conservation, with 70% of the 70-acre area being left green.
- The Ram Mandir’s bricks have the inscription ‘Shri Ram.’
FIVE mandaps (halls):
- Nritya Mandap
- Rang Mandap
- Sabha Mandap
- Prarthana Mandap
- Kirtan Mandap
Deities
- Lord Ram is the main deity of the temple hence Idol of Ram is placed Lalla in the sanctum.
- Mandirs at four corners of the compound dedicated to Surya, Bhagwati, Ganesh, Shiv.
- there will be temples to Annapurna and Hanuman respectively on the northern and southern arms of Ram Temple.
- Temples to Maharshi Valmiki, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Agastya, Nishad Raj, Shabri, etc. proposed in the complex.
Ram Mandir’s Significance:
Social harmony:
- The temple’s construction promotes social unity and fulfils a long-held religious and spiritual desire of Hindus in the country.
- The Ayodhya dispute and the construction of the Ram Mandir have the potential to end decades of religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims, bringing social harmony and religious peace.
Historical event related to the Ram temple:
- 1528: Mir Baqi, a general under Mughal emperor Babur, constructs the Babri Masjid between 1528 and 1529.
- 1859: The British colonial administration erects a fence to separate the places of worship, allowing Muslims to use the inner court and Hindus to use the outer.
- 1986: A district judge directs that the gates to the contested mosque be unlocked so that Hindus might worship there. The Babri Masjid Action Committee was created.
- 2003: The Archaeological Investigation of India (ASI) investigates the mosque site, discovering signs of a temple beneath the mosque.
- 2019: On November 9, the Supreme Court ordered that the contested land (2.77 acres) be turned over to a trust to build the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. And an additional 5 acres of land in Ayodhya to the Sunni Waqf Board to construct a mosque.
Cultural preservation:
- Ayodhya has a strong historical and cultural tie to the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana.
- The temple’s building symbolizes the preservation and celebration of India’s cultural heritage.
Infrastructure development:
- Ayodhya is gradually setting new growth milestones and establishing itself as the spiritual capital.
Economic: The construction of Ram Mandir can revive economic growth, create jobs, and increase tourism, resulting in local development opportunities.
International recognition:
Ayodhya Research Institute gets the status of international research institute.
Ayodhya:
- Ayodhya is a city on the banks of the sacred river Saryu in Uttar Pradesh.
- Ayodhya formerly known as Saketa was the early capital of the Kingdom of Kosala.
- During the reigns of Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, the empire’s capital was moved from Pataliputra to Ayodhya, and the ancient name of Saketa was replaced with Ayodhya.
- In the 11th and 12th centuries CE, the Kanauj kingdom emerged in Ayodhya, also known as Oudh.
- In the 18th century, Oudh gained independence before succumbing to the British East India Company in 1764.
- The British annexed Oudh in 1856, leading to the Indian Mutiny in 1857 due to the loss of rights for hereditary land revenue receivers.
- In 1877, Oudh was merged with the Agra Presidency to form the North-Western Provinces, which later became the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, now Uttar Pradesh state.
The Ayodhya Research Institute
- It, popularly known as ‘Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan’, was started in August 1986 and housed in the historic Tulsi Smarak Bhawan.
- It is an autonomous body under the Culture Department of the state government.