Giant 'Ashtadhatu' Bell Offered To Ram Temple In Ayodhya Ahead 'Pran Pratishtha' Ceremony

The bell donated to Ram Temple in Ayodhya was made at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. It was delivered ahead of the consecration ceremony on January 22.

The bell is made using 'ashtadhatu' or eight metals and is among the largest in the country. ( Image Source :PTI )

With the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya just days away, a giant bell weighing 2,400 kg was transported from Jalesar town in Etah district on Wednesday. Crafted at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, the bell's journey commenced by train on Tuesday, according to news agency IANS. Crafting the bell involved 30 workers and is made of 'ashtadhatu' eight metals: gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron, and mercury. This is one of the largest bells in the country.

Aditya Mittal, a businessman in the metal industry, told news agency IANS that his late brother, Vikas Mittal, former chair of Jalesar Nagar Panchayat, had expressed his wish to donate the bell to the temple before his passing in 2022 due to a cardiac arrest. Honouring Vikas's wish, Aditya and his brother Prashant Mittal donated the bell as a tribute to his memory.

The bell, standing six feet tall and five feet wide, is designed to resonate within a radius of 2 kilometres. Prashant Mittal detailed the elaborate manufacturing process, highlighting the challenge of creating the bell as a single piece. The intricate procedure involved meticulous shaping and measurements, crafting wooden templates for the mould, metal preparation, tuning, grinding, and fitting the clapper.

The Mittals received the order for the bell from the Nirmohi Akhara, a party involved in the Ayodhya title dispute, immediately following the Supreme Court's decision in November 2019.

“We believe there is some divine reason that this work came to us. So, we decided to donate it to the temple”, Aditya was quoted as saying by IANS. Etah district, renowned for its skilled artisans, receives both national and international orders for temple bells.

Jalesar boasts around 300 factories contributing actively to this craft. Under the 'one district, one product' scheme initiated by the Yogi Adityanath Government, the brass handicraft industry in Jalesar has notably flourished, according to IANS.

The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust is poised to enshrine Ram Lalla at the temple's sanctum-sanctorum at noon on January 22.