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Ram temple construction: Carving of stones resumes as Raj sculptors arrive in Ayodhya
The carving of stones for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya began with the arrival of eight Rajasthani sculptors.
With the arrival of eight sculptors from Rajasthan, carving of stones for Ram Mandir has begun in Ayodhya once again. Chiselling of stones resumed at the workshop at Ram Ghat amid full Vedic rituals on Thursday after eight years.
This workshop was shut down during the Samajwadi Party regime in Uttar Pradesh in 2013. It was reopened in 2017 when the BJP came to power in the state. However, carving of stones could not be carried out due to lack of sculptors. “Carving of stones has begun after eight sculptors reached Ayodhya from Rajasthan,” said Champat Rai, general secretary, Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust.
The ongoing foundation work of Ram Mandir is about to complete by the end of September. Thereafter, construction of the second phase of the temple will start. Around four lakh cubic feet stones have to be carved for Ram Mandir. At present, only 50,000 cubic feet stones have been carved. According to Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, about 65 per cent work related with carving of stones has to be completed.
Ashish Sompura, architect of the temple, said a large number of sculptors will arrive from Rajasthan and other places in November to expedite the carving work. By then, stones from Bansi Pahadpur in Rajasthan will also arrive in Ayodhya. The famous stand stones from Rajasthan are being used for the construction of Ram Mandir.
During the ongoing filling process, around 44 layers of 300 mm each have been laid. Each layer has been compressed with simple and vibrating rollers. In the ongoing filling work of the temple’s foundation, 1.25 lakh cubic metre dug-up ground will be completed by the end of September.
The Tata Consulting Engineers is working as a project management consultant and is assisting Larsen & Toubro in the construction work. According to Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, Larsen & Toubro has appointed Balaji Construction Company of Rajasthan as its assisting partner to complete the foundation work at the earliest.
The temple’s foundation will be 107 feet above the sea level and is being made of layers of stones. For filling the temple’s foundation, crushed stone of Banda, coarse sand, fly ash and asbestos are being used.
Workshop to be set up in Rajasthan too
The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust is also likely to start carving of stones in Rajasthan where a workshop will be established. This workshop is likely to come up in Bansi Pahadpur region where famous stones mines are located. As stones are yet to arrive from Rajasthan, stones kept at the workshop in Ayodhya will be carved till then. It will take two months to carve these stones.
