The construction of the foundation of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is complete and has been filled with the final and 48th layer of roller-compacted concrete, temple trust members have said. "The first phase has been completed. We will be setting up another layer made up of stones--Karnataka's granite and Mirzapur's sandstone--over this concrete base," Champat Rai, general secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said on Thursday, according to news agency ANI.
Rai also said that one lakh cubic feet of carved slabs of stone from Rajasthan’s Bansi Paharpur are ready for the construction that would follow.
The foundation stone of the Ram Mandir was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5, 2020. The ground floor of the temple, where the sanctum sanctorum will be located and where an idol of Ram Lalla will be placed, will be ready for prayers by December 2023. The temple complex is being built by Larsen & Toubro while Tata Consulting Engineers has been signed on as the project management consultant. It is expected to incur a cost of ₹900-1,000 crore and will be spread over 110 acres of land. The temple complex will also have a museum, a research centre, and an archival centre.
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{{/usCountry}}Also watch: How Ram Temple site in Ayodhya looks after 1st phase of construction
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News agency PTI reported citing the final blueprint that six temples dedicated to Lord Surya, Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Lord Durga, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma will be constructed in the Ram Janambhoomi premises. "These six temples of deities will be built along the outer periphery of the Ram temple but within the premises. Along with worshipping Lord Rama, worshipping these deities is also very important in Hindu dharma," Mishra told PTI earlier this week.
Mishra said the construction of the base (plinth) of the superstructure of the Ram temple will start from the end of October or from the first week of November after the completion of the filling of the foundation. He also said that four tower cranes will be installed at four different locations for the in-situ setting of stones in the structure of the grand temple.
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Reports have said that the site needed a strong foundation as the soil at the site is unstable. A 50-foot deep pit, 400-feet by 300 feet, was first excavated and has been filled with 12-inch layers of compacted cement and other building material, including small stones and fly ash.
The Ram Mandir trust was set up after the Supreme Court settled the Ram Janmaboomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in 2019, paving the way for the construction of the temple on the disputed site. The temple is expected to be opened to devotees by the end of 2023.