Photographs of the idol of Lord Ram installed in the Garbhagriha of Ram Mandir surfaced on 19th January which exhibit its delicate and complex structures. The Ram Lalla idol was installed on the marble mandapa in the sanctum sanctorum on 18th January, ahead of the consecration ceremony on 22nd January. The first photo of the deity which was covered with a white veil was revealed during the placement ceremony on 18th January.
The idol is crafted from ‘shyamal’ (dark) stone which shows the Lord Ram as a five-year-old boy standing on a lotus composed of the same stone. An image of the idol was also shared by Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje who wrote, “The dream of decades has now become a reality.” However, it seems that the image was taken at the workshop, and not at the sanctum-sanctorum, as it is inside a shed.
After the installation of the idol on the marble platform yesterday, workers gave the finishing touches to the platform today.
The 150 kg and 51-inch idol, sculpted by popular Mysuru artist Arun Yogiraj who has a family background of five generations of renowned sculptors was brought to the temple on the night of 17th January accompanied by the chanting of prayers and placed on the marble pedestal in the Garbhagriha in the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra in his presence.
The idol travelled to the Ram Mandir by a procession that stopped briefly at the temple of Hanumangarhi. According to accounts, four hours of religious rites and mantra chanting were performed while the deity was positioned on the marble podium. .
The idol’s left hand has the pose of holding a bow, which has not been placed yet. However, an image of the idol taken outside the temple shows Ram Lalla holding a bow and arrow. This image also does not have the blindfold.
It is a stone statue and will transform into an idol after the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony). The sculpture is going to remain covered until then. The blindfold that covers the idol’s eyes is scheduled to be taken off on the day of the Pran Pratishtha. The door of the sanctum sanctorum has also been covered with a curtain. Only a select number of priests would perform rituals till the consecration ceremony.
The Pram Pratishtha of the idol installed on the mandapa will be during the auspicious ‘Abhijeet Muhurta’ from 12.20 pm to 1 pm. Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, a priest and Vedic scholar from Kashi will lead and manage a group of 121 acharyas who are in charge of executing the ceremonies preceding the major event. Laxmikant M Dixit from Kashi has been named as the principal acharya who is descended from the distinguished Kashi scholar Gaga Bhatt of the 17th century who headed the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj around 350 years ago in 1674.