More than 40 per cent of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has been completed within two years of the groundbreaking ceremony conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to officials of the trust entrusted with the responsibility, Trend reports citing The Tribune India.
Devotees from all over the world could pay obeisance to the deity from December 2023, Champat Rai, general secretary, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, told PTI.
Construction as well as demolition activities for improving the roads around the temple are also on in full swing, the trust officials said.
"More than 40 per cent of the temple construction work is complete. More than 80 per cent of the plinth work is done. Darshan at the temple is likely to start from December 2023," Rai said.
Rai oversees the construction work, holds meetings and reviews the progress on a daily basis.
Asked about the source of the money used in the construction, Rai said, "Bhagwan ke karya ke liye dhan ki kya kami. Bhagwan ke charno me lakshmi baithi rehti hai (There cannot be any dearth of money for the cause of god)."
According to the trust officials, a huge foundation is being laid in the soil to ensure the temple's longevity and stability for at least a thousand years.
Talking about other civic work, they said a rectangular, two-storey parikrama road will be constructed; enclosing a total of eight acres of land including the area of the temple and its courtyard, and at its eastern part, an entrance made of sandstone will be made.
White marble from the Makrana hills in Rajasthan will be used inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, they said.
The marble-carving work is in progress and some of the carved marble blocks have already been brought to Ayodhya, the officials added.
A Supreme Court verdict of November 9, 2019 paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.