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Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Date, Cultural Significance, Temple Architecture, Heritage

PWOnlyIAS January 19, 2024 03:55 10298 0

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Context: The Prime Minister of India will be attending the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir, marking the inauguration of temple in Ayodhya on January 22 2024.

Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Date, Cultural Significance, Temple Architecture, Heritage

Ram Mandir: Trust Composition and Supervision

  • Foundation: The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the temple on August 5, 2020. 
  • Location: The temple is located at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, which is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama.

Ram Mandir

  • The construction of the Ram Mandir is being supervised by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.  
    • The trust was set up in 2020 after the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case. It is composed of 15 trustees.
    • Chairperson: Mahant Nrityagopal Das is the chairman of the trust. Out of the 15 trustees, 12 are nominated by the central government.
    • Composition: There are 9 permanent and 6 nominated members of the trust with each member being a practicing Hindu.
    • Other members of the trust, including the officers appointed by the state and central government, district collector of Ayodhya and the representative of Nirmohi Akhara will not enjoy voting rights in the proceedings of the trust. 
    • Voting Rights: Of 15, only 11 trustees have voting rights.

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The Ram Janmabhoomi Movement: From Dispute to Construction of Ram Mandir

  • About: The site of the ram Mandir is believed to be the place where Lord Rama was born. 
    • It is at this place that Mughals constructed a mosque known as Babri Masjid.
  • Launch: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the 1980s launched a movement to reclaim the site for Hindus and build a temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ram Lalla) at the spot. 
  • Demolition of Babri Masjid: In 1992, a rally involving volunteers (Kar Sevaks) turned hostile, leading to demolition of the Babri Masjid.
  • The Court’s Ruling: In 2019, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the site previously hosted a Hindu temple, which was destroyed prior to the construction of the Babri Masjid.
  • Handling Construction: The court ruled to hand over the disputed land to a trust formed by the Indian government, for the construction of a Ram Mandir. 
    • A trust was formed under the name of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, which was tasked with the construction of a Ram Mandir. 
  • About: The dispute in Ayodhya revolved around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, the location of the Babri Masjid mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished before building the mosque.
  • Origin: The legal dispute began after a title dispute was filed in the Allahabad High Court in 2002, a decade after Babri Masjid was demolished.
  • The Allahabad High Court’s Ruling: The ruling by Allahabad High Court in 2010 said that the 2.77 acres of the disputed land would be divided equally into three parts, between the three litigants.
    • The three litigants were the Sunni Board, the Nirmohi Akhada and the party that represented Ram Lalla. The main disputed section was given to the Hindu party.
  • The Supreme Court’s Ruling: In 2019, the Supreme Court of India gave the final verdict in the case. It suspended the previous ruling of the Allahabad High Court.
    • The court said that the disputed land should be given to Hindu petitioners for a temple to be built for Lord Ram, while Muslims would be given land elsewhere to construct a mosque.
    • The court arrived at the conclusion after citing a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as evidence which had found remains of a ‘non-Islamic’ building beneath the structure of the demolished Babri mosque.
    • The court also directed the union government to set up a trust to manage and oversee the construction of the temple.

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Architecture of Ram Mandir: Nagara Style Grandeur and Design

  • Dimension: Ram Mandir will be 235 feet (72 m) wide, 360 feet (110 m) long and 161 feet (49 m) high, and once complete, the temple complex will be the world’s third largest Hindu shrine. 
  • Architect: The chief architect of the temple is Chandrakant Bhai Sompura, who designed the Akshardham temple in Gujarat.

Ram Mandir

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  • Architecture Style: It is designed in the Nagara Style (and highly inspired from Gujara-Chalukya style of Nagara style of architecture). Gurjara Chalukya architecture is classified as part of the Nagara style of temple architecture.
    • Nagara Style is a distinct style of temple architecture developed in Northern India from the 5th century A.D onwards. They also follow the Panchayatan style. Eg: Khajuraho Group of temples.
    • Features of Nagara Style of Architecture:
      • Mantapas – They are the assembly halls in front of the principal shrine. Unlike in South India they don’t usually have elaborate boundary walls/gateways.
      • Shikhara: It is the tower that forms the temple; it can be rectangular or square base, and its height/width may vary.
      • Amalak – The vertical end of the shikara ends in a horizontal fluted disc. On top of it, a spherical shape is placed called a kalash.
      • Vahana – The mount of the main deity placed generally in line of sight from Garbhagriha
      • Examples: Examples of Nagara-style of temples in India are- Sun temple, Konark, and Sun temple at Modhera, Gujarat.
  • Mandapas: The temple will consist of five mandapas in the middle of the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) and on the entryway.
  • Main Deity: Ram Lalla Virajman, the infant form of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is the presiding deity of the temple.
  • Accompanying Deity: The temple will have idols each including the incarnations of Shiva, the 10 Dashavataras, the 64 Chausath Yoginis, and the 12 incarnations of the goddess Saraswati.
  • Main Structure: The main structure of the temple will be built on a raised platform and will have three storeys.
  • Fusion of Modern and Traditional Techniques: It incorporates 360 pillars and is made entirely of stone.
    • IIT Chennai has been advising on the construction of the temple.
  • Marvel of Modern Engineering: It is designed to just withstand the strongest earthquakes and most intense flooding.
    • It is constructed by Larsen and Toubro with management by Tata Consulting Engineers Limited.

Ram Mandir’s Significance: Cultural, Economic, and Social Implications

  • Religious Significance: The construction of the temple is seen as the fulfilment of a long-standing religious and spiritual aspiration of Hindus in the country.
  • Cultural Heritage: Ayodhya has a deep historical and cultural connection to the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. 
    • The temple’s construction is viewed as a symbol of preserving and celebrating India’s cultural heritage
  • Economic Value: The construction of Ram Mandir has the potential to stimulate economic growth in the region, create jobs, and boost tourism, providing opportunities for local development.
  • Religious Peace: The decades of religious clashes between Hindus and Muslims could potentially stop after the end of the Ayodhya dispute and the construction of Ram Mandir.
  • Growth of Charity: The temple could act as a nucleus around which charitable institutions such as schools and hospitals can grow.
  • Development of Basic Infrastructure: The construction of the temple could lead to the development of basic infrastructure such as roads in the region in order to cater to the arrival of pilgrims.

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Conclusion:

The inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will mark the end of one of the long-standing land disputes in independent India. 

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Ram Mandir FAQs

The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22 2024 with the placing of the idol of the main deity.

The Ram Mandir is designed in the Nagara Style, and highly inspired from Gujara-Chalukya style of Nagara style of architecture.

The chief architect of the temple is Chandrakant Bhai Sompura, who also designed the Akshardham temple in Gujarat.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust will be supervising the construction of the temple.

Ram Lalla Virajman, the infant form of Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is the presiding deity of the temple.

The dispute in Ayodhya revolved around the control of a site traditionally regarded among Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, the location of the Babri Masjid mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished before building the mosque.

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement was started by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the 1980s to reclaim the site for Hindus and build a temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ram Lalla) at the spot.

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