Ram Temple Inauguration: One of 3 Ram Lalla idols to be placed in sanctum sanctorum. What happens to the other 2?

All three statues stand at a height of 51 inches, portraying the five-year-old Lord Ram.

Sacred rituals leading up to the consecration of the Ram Temple on January 22 have started in Ayodhya, signifying a crucial moment in the country’s cultural and religious landscape.

As part of the elaborate rituals, the revered deity, Ram Lalla, made a ceremonial entrance into his newly erected temple on January 17. The idol of Ram Lalla, crafted by Mysore sculptor Arun Yogiraj, has been chosen for installation in the temple.

According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, responsible for building the Ram Temple, the placement of the new idol of Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum in the temple will take place on January 18.

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Three statues were crafted for installation in the temple. The moot question now is: What happens to the other two statues?

The two remaining Ram Lalla idols will also find a place of reverence within the Ram temple, according to the News 18 Hindi website, which cited Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, as saying.

According to Rai, once the first floor of the temple is ready, the trust will conduct Vedic rituals and install one of the remaining idols. On completion of the entire construction work by December 2025, the second idol will be installed on the second floor. Rai said all the rituals will be meticulously performed during the placement of these idols.

Same height

Of the two statues, one was carved from black stone by Ganesh Bhatt of Karnataka, and the second was sculpted from white Makrana marble by Satya Narayan Pandey from Rajasthan.

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All three statues stand at a height of 51 inches, portraying the five-year-old Lord Ram. The statues were inspired by sketches of Mumbai artist Vasudev Kamath, which he had presented to the trust.

Kamath, originally from Karkala in Karnataka but raised in Mumbai, is well-known for his paintings centred on mythological and historical subjects. His Ramayana series, comprising 28 paintings, has gained global acclaim for its artistic depiction of the epic narrative.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to preside over the culminating rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. During this historic event, he will delicately open the eyes of the deity using a golden stick, meticulously crafted to the size of a matchstick. This symbolic gesture marks the conclusion of the sacred week-long ceremony, signifying the auspicious completion of the consecration rituals.