From Ram Lalla idol to 600-kilo bell, gold-silver padukas, Mandir's southern connect

Lucknow : The five feet tall idol of Ram Lalla that will be installed in the grand Ram temple on January 22, has been crafted by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. The doors of the temple that have been made by a Hyderabad-based craftsman, are already in Ayodhya.

A 600-kilo bell from Rameshwaram with 'Jai Shri Ram' etched on it, along with several other bells, are from Namakkal in Tamil Nadu. Granite slabs from Tamil Nadu and Telangana are being used for construction.

The silver ‘padukas’ that will be kept in the temple during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, made of one kg gold and seven kg silver, have been crafted by Shrichalla Shriniwas of Hyderabad.

With this, can there be any doubts about the contribution of the South in this magnificent temple of the North?

According to saints in Ayodhya, a large number of devotees who have been frequenting the holy city since decades, come from the southern states.

Mahant Ram Chandra, a seer in Tapasvi Chhavni, says “Pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh are frequent visitors here. Most of them come in groups and make multiple trips. Ayodhya-Prayagraj-Varanasi forms the ‘Hindu triangle’ in Uttar Pradesh and gets devotees who visit all three places.”

Manohar Lal, caretaker of Saket Dharamshala, says that the bulk of his customers are from the South.

“In fact, we even have a cook who specializes in south Indian food for our guests from south India. Some families visit Ayodhya every year and even bring spices for us. Our relationship is now beyond the usual,” he informs.

Temple trust sources claim that contributions for the temple have been pouring in from the southern states. “We cannot disclose the names of donors or the amount but, yes, the majority of the donors come from south India,” the sources said.