As The Day Of Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan Nears, Here’s A Look At Ancient Temple Complexes Outside India

The eagerly awaited grand bhoomi pujan ceremony for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will take place tomorrow, August 5. Here's a look at other big temple complexes outside India.

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New Delhi: There is just one more day to go before the grand Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.  The construction of the Ram Temple will start after the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ ceremony scheduled to be held on August 5th. The preparations are being made the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and on Monday details of the guest list and invitation card were also unveiled. The bhoomi pujan will be attended by 175 guests, including PM Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Mahant Nritya Gopaldas. But before the event, tomorrow, know about these ancient and modern temple complexes outside India. Angkor Wat' (or, ‘Angkor Vat')- This temple complex located in Cambodia is dedicated to the god Vishnu. It was constructed by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century and is now considered as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  Towards the end of 12^th century, the temple was transformed into a Buddhist temple and came to be described as a "Hindu-Buddhist" temple. Angkor Vat is known for its sculptures many of which display episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  Prambanan' or ‘Candi Prambanan or Rara Jonggrang- This temple in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is dedicated to the Trimūrti-Brahma the creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva. The temple also falls in the list of UNESCO World Heritage site. According to experts, the construction of the temple was most likely started by Rakai Pikatan, king from the Sanjaya Dynasty. The temple features three main shrines dedicated to the deities. The sculptures depict stories of the ‘Ramayana' and ‘Bhagavat Purana'. An inscription dated 856 CE says that the temple was built to honor Lord Shiva, and its original name was Shiva-grha (the House of Shiva) or Shiva-laya (the Realm of Shiva). Pashupatinath Temple- This temple located in Kathmandu, Nepal is probably the most well-known temple outside India. It is located in the banks of the Bagmati River and is considered a World Heritage Site according to UNESCO. The temple is one of the 275 Tamil Paadal Petra Sthalams (Holy Abodes of Shiva). According to research, temple was created in the 5th century by Licchavi King Prachanda Dev. Besakih temple, Bali, Indonesia- This temple complex also known as ‘Mother Temple’ of Besakih or ‘Pura Besakih' is considered as one of the holiest Hindu temples in Bali. Although research is still being done on the origin of the temple, by the 15th century, Besakih had become a state temple of the powerful Gelgel dynasty. The complex houses 23 different temples and the biggest among them is Pura Penataran Agung which is the main sanctuary. Watch: 6 priests to perform Ramarcha pooja in Ayodhya today | Anchor's Choice