Ayodhya's Ram Temple To Open For Devotees By January 26 Next Year: Construction Committee Chairman

Pilgrims can seek blessings Lord Ram's child form in Ayodhya's temple before January 26, 2024 with the temple's first phase finishing by December.

Pilgrims eager to witness the deity Lord Ram in his child form at the Ayodhya temple can expect their wish to be granted before January 26, 2024, according to Chairman of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Construction Committee, Nripendra Misra. He further revealed that the first phase of constructing the grand temple will conclude by December 2023.

In an interview with ANI, Misra detailed the features of the temple, explaining that the ground floor will house five mandaps, including the sanctum-sanctorum where the deity will be installed. The date for the consecration ceremony, known as "pran prathistha," has not been finalised. 

"The pilgrims would be able to have a glimpse of Lord Ram in his child form definitely before January 26, 2024. I will not be able to give you the exact date because that would depend on the date announced by the Prime Minister's Office for the participation of PM on the last day of Pran Pratishtha, which has yet not been fixed. The date has not come from the Prime Minister's Office, and we have to respect the decision of the PM's office in this matter," Misra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He responded to inquiries about the temple's completion date, emphasizing that the dream of many has become a reality, and the temple will be completed in two phases. Phase 1, encompassing the ground floor spanning approximately 2.6 acres, will comprise five mandaps and 160 pillars, each adorned with 25 different iconographical works. Misra highlighted that nearly 50 percent of the work on the lower plinth, narrating the Ram Katha based on stone carvings from Valmiki Ramayan, will be completed.

Ram Katha Museum To Showcase Temple Movement History: 

The International Ram Katha Museum in Ayodhya, situated along the Sarayu River, will showcase statues and artefacts discovered during excavations at the temple site. It will also provide insights into the history of the temple movement. A special section will chronicle the legal, political, and religious aspects of this movement. 

"Some items were discovered during the excavation done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and some were found during the excavation done for the temple construction work. They have been kept very safely... Some are protected by court orders, and some are kept safe by the trust," Misra told news agency PTI. He confirmed that all these artefacts will be displayed in the museum with permission from the ASI.

The Ram Temple's construction has been advancing steadily under the supervision of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple will house the idol of Ram Lalla. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the temple's construction on August 5, 2020, following the Supreme Court's verdict in 2019, which paved the way for the construction of the grand Ram temple.