20 fascinating facts about Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

‪@FantasyBook‬
1. The 3-storey Mandir is built in the traditional Nagara style Pink sandstone from Mirzapur and the hills of Bansi-Paharpur area in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan has been used in the construction of the temple.
2. It has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore and has an overall area of 71 acres. The total width is 250 feet and height is 161 feet.
3. The main temple area spans 2.67 acre. The temple has 390 pillars, 46 doorways and 5 mandaps.
4. In the main Garbh Griha (sanctum sanctorum, photo below), there are idols of Ram Lalla. The temple also has multiple mandaps, including Rang Mandap & Nritya Mandap.
5. Devotees will enter the temple after climbing 32 steps, scaling a height of 16.11 ft from the ground before entering through Singh Dwar.
6. There are ramps and lifts for disabled and elderly persons.
7. Mandir complex will also have temples dedicated to Maharshi Valmiki, Maharshi Vashishtha, Maharshi Vishwamitra, Maharshi Agastya, Nishad Raj, Mata Shabri, among others, in subsequent phases.
8. The sanctum sanctorum and five mandaps are on the ground floor. Ram Darbar will be on the first floor. Plans are still not final for the second floor.
9. For protection against ground moisture, a 21ft-high plinth has been constructed using granite.
10. A Pilgrim Facility Centre (PFC) with a capacity of 25,000 people is being constructed. It will provide medical & locker facilities to pilgrims.
11. The complex will also have a separate block with bathing area, washrooms, washbasins, etc.
12. Future-ready artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance is likely to be introduced for the security of Ram Mandir. Pilgrim footfall is expected to increase sizeably after the consecration ceremony.
13. The mandir is being constructed using traditional and indigenous technology with particular emphasis on conservation of environment & water - 70% of the 71-acre area has been left green.
14. 16-28 idols of deities adorn each of the 390 pillars. The walls will also have carvings of mythological figures.
15. Each pillar is being carved exclusively by one artisan to maintain consistency. Workers from Odisha are doing carving work on the pillars while artisans from Rajasthan are working on marble flooring and walls.
16. At 12 noon on every Ram Navami, a system of mirrors and lenses will focus the rays of the sun on the forehead of Ram Lalla’s idol. The first such anointment by sunrays will occur on Ram Navami on March 29. This mechanical system requires no electricity or battery and uses brass instead of iron or steel.
17. Mysuru sculptor Arun Yogiraj crafted the idol of five-year-old Ram Lalla, now installed in the ‘Garbh Griha’. The idol is 51 inches tall. Its consecretion ceremony took place today.
18. A Sri Lankan delegation visited Ayodhya and gifted a rock from the historic Ashok Vatika, a garden in Ravan’s kingdom where he held Sita in captivity.
19. No iron has been used in the construction of the temple. The temple is built to last at least a 1,000 years.
20. The temple is surrounded by a rectangular parikrama called Parkota. Four temples stand on the periphery of the Parkota, of Goddess Bhagwati, Lord Shiva, Lord Surya & Lord Ganesha. A temple to Lord Hanuman is on the southern arm and one to Maa Annapurna on the northern arm.
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