Yogi Adityanath visits Ayodhya, reviews construction of Ram temple

AYODHYA: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday paid a visit to the holy town of Ayodhya where he offered prayers to the model of the under-construction Ram temple.

UP Chief Minister’s Ayodhya visit marked the first anniversary of Ram Temple Bhoomi Pujan (foundation-laying ceremony). The saint-politician also reviewed the progress of construction work of the Ram temple.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visits Ayodhya and offers prayers to the model of Ram temple. He also reviewed the progress of construction work of the Ram temple. pic.twitter.com/XtTFbAcl49 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 5, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also virtually attend an event on the free ration scheme in Ayodhya at 1 PM today on the occasion of the Bhoomi Pujan anniversary. Over 100 people will enjoy the benefits of the PM Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana. The event will be attended by around 500 people.

The PM will also be visiting the prominent temple in Ayodhya, including Ram Lalla temple. It had emerged on Wednesday that the Ram temple will be opened for 'darshan' to devotees by 2023 end.

The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is progressing according to the plan, and devotees are expected to be allowed to pay obeisance to the deity by 2023 end, sources in the Ram Temple Trust had said on Wednesday.

The entire temple complex will, however, be ready by 2025, they added.

Sharing details of the grand project, a culmination of the BJP's decades-long promise of building a temple at the place where Lord Ram is believed to have been born in Ayodhya, they said the main temple will have three floors and five 'mandaps'.

The length of the temple is 360 feet, width 235 feet and height of each floor will be 20 feet, they said. "The construction work of the temple is progressing according to the plan and it is estimated that by end of 2023, devotees will be able to get the opportunity of Lord Ram's darshan," a source said.

The development assumes political significance as the next Lok Sabha elections are due in the first half of 2024. If the work goes in accordance with the plan, then the ruling BJP will receive a shot in the arm before hitting the campaign trail.

The sources added that there will be 160 columns on the temple's ground floor, 132 columns on the first floor and 74 columns on the second floor. The top of the sanctum sanctorum will be 161 feet from the ground floor and will be constructed with Rajasthan stone and marble.

The temple design was finalised considering the changes that have taken place in the last three decades and the aspirations of devotees, the sources said.

Following a Supreme Court verdict paving the way for the temple's construct at the site, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janm Bhumi Teerth Kshetra Trust on February 5, 2020 in Lok Sabha for the temple's construction and management.

Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to the prime minister, is the chairman of the construction committee. The temple's construction began following a religious ceremony attended by PM Modi at the site last year.