Competition Between 3 Sculptures for “Best” Ram Lala Idol Ahead of Ayodhya Ram Temple Inauguration

Ayodhya: Artisans are constructing three Ram Lala (baby Ram) idols in Ayodhya. One of them will be selected by the four Shankaracharyas, other senior sadhus and heritage experts to be installed in the new Ram Janmabhoomi temple in January 2024.

These Rama Lala idols are being made by three sculptors, Ganesh Bhatt, Arun Yogiraj and Satyanarayan Pandey. The selection will be made soon, trust officials said.

Each of these three idols is carved out of a single stone. They are being carved behind closed doors at Ramsevakpuran in Ayodhya.

The temple trust said that of the three idols, one will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum, while the remaining two will be kept in other parts of the Ram Mandir.

Champat Rai, general secretary of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust told The Telegraph that each idol will be four feet and three inches tall.

Quoting a source, The Telegraph reported that two black rocks had been brought from the hills of Karnataka and one white marble rock from Rajasthan, for sculpting the three idols of a five-year-old Ram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several VIP guests are expected at the inauguration of the temple and Pran Pratishtha of the idol on January 22, the last day of six-day rituals that will begin on January 17.