National Desk, 29th December: In a momentous event today, December 29, 2023, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust gathers in the sacred city of Ayodhya to make a crucial decision regarding the idol of Lord Ram Lalla. The trust, overseeing the construction and management of the grand Ram Temple, is poised to select the most divine representation of the youthful Lord Ram from three meticulously crafted designs.
These three competing idols, each portraying a five-year-old Lord Ram, have been meticulously sculpted by renowned artists. One is carved from the pristine white marble of Makrana, Rajasthan, while the other two are fashioned from stones sourced from Karnataka. These idols, created in secrecy based on sketches by Mumbai-based artist Vasudeo Kamath, reflect a dedication to capturing the divine and innocent essence associated with the youthful depiction of the deity.
The selection process goes beyond aesthetics, with an emphasis on embodying the best divineness and a childlike appearance. Trust secretary Champat Rai highlights the significance of this decision, emphasizing that the chosen idol should encapsulate the spiritual and innocent nature of Lord Ram.
The skilled sculptors behind these masterpieces include Ganesh Bhatt of Karnataka, working with Nellikaru rocks, and Arun Yogiraj of Mysore, known for his 12-ft statue of Adi Shankaracharya in Kedarnath unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The third sculptor, Satya Narayan Pandey, crafted the idol from Makrana marble.
The trust had earlier decided that a 51-inch idol would be chosen for placement in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir during the consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22, 2024. The remaining two idols will also find their place within the temple at different locations. Today’s voting marks the culmination of meticulous planning and artistic endeavor, ensuring that the selected idol enhances the spiritual ambiance of the Ram Mandir and resonates with devotees’ aspirations for a symbol representing their reverence for Lord Ram.