‘Ram Mandir construction will be completed by June 5’: Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra

NEW DELHI: Nripendra Mishra, Chairman of the Construction Committee of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, said on Tuesday that the Ram Mandir construction will be completed by June 5 this year.

Mishra emphasised that 99 per cent of the temple construction work has now been completed.

“Ram temple construction will be completed by June 5 this year. 99 per cent of the temple construction work has now been completed. The ‘Garbhagriha’, where Ram Lalla is enshrined, had already been completed earlier. However, the first and second floors and the shikhar (main spire) above were still under construction. Today, the Dhwajdand (temple flagpole) has been installed atop the shikhar, which is essentially a symbolic declaration that the work on the shikhar is now complete. The overall construction of the temple is now nearly finished,” Mishra said.

“The installation of the Ram Darbar on the first floor–which includes the idols of Lord Ram, Sita ji, and Hanuman ji—will take place on May 23. All preparations for this have been completed. The idols will arrive in Ayodhya on May 23 and will be placed in their respective sanctums. Following this, there will be some associated religious ceremonies. On June 5, Lord Ram will be ceremoniously enshrined according to our faith and rituals,” Nripendra Mishra said.

The Chairman of the Construction Committee of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra further mentioned that the Prime Minister had given special importance to seven temples to be built for the sages and devotees who were associated with Lord Ram.

“These seven temples are also now complete. The temples of Maharishi Valmiki, Shri Vashisht ji, Vishwamitra ji, Ahilya ji, Nishadraj Maharaj, Shabari Mata, and Agastya Muni located within the temple premises will also be opened to the public after June 5. The worship rituals for the Ram Darbar and the six temples built along the Parkota (outer boundary) will take place on June 5. Champat Rai ji will announce a detailed program for the June 5 ceremonies,” Mishra said.

“One or two days after June 5, once the temple is fully completed, devotees will be able to visit all the different temples within the premises for darshan,” he asserted.

Nripendra Mishra also emphasized that they are hopeful and inspired by this unwavering faith of the devotees after the temple witnessed daily footfall between 75,000 to 1 lakh.

He also listed challenges faced during the construction of the temple.

“We faced many geographical challenges during the construction. Sourcing materials from various places was also a major challenge. There were many discussions regarding engineering and design because our vision was that this temple should last for the next 1,000 years without damage. For me, these engineering challenges were the toughest part. The solution to all these challenges can be summed up in one word: teamwork,” Nripendra Mishra said.

Heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mishra also recalled his working under him.

“I worked under the Prime Minister for nearly six years. Back in those days, even before the Supreme Court’s verdict had come, he often used to say that he would only visit Ayodhya once the construction of the temple began. I remember him indicating that in the past 15-20 years, although he had travelled to surrounding districts for political events, he had not gone to Ayodhya. It was clear in his mind that a temple would be built in Ayodhya–no matter what,” he said. (ANI)