Nepal's 'Shaligram' stones dispatched to Ayodhya for sculpting 'life-like' Lord Ram, Goddess Sita idols

The idols of Lord Rama and Sita will be made from famed 'Shaligram' stones which are already dispatched to Ayodhya. These stones are found only on the riverbanks of the Kali Gandaki river in Nepal.

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh):The 'Shaligram' stones which are meant for sculpting the 'life-like' idols of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita were dispatched from Nepal, according to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust (SRJTKT). The decision on design and other intricate details on the deities were taken in a two-day meeting of the Ram Temple Construction Committee.

The meeting was held at the office of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Complex it was unanimously decided that the idols of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita will be carved out of rare rocks unearthed in Nepal's Gandaki river. These idols will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The trust's general secretary Champat Rai said 'Shaligram' stone will be used to sculpt an immobile idol of Lord Ram Lalla. Found only on the riverbanks of Kali Gandaki River that flows through Myagdi and Mustang district, the 'Shaligram' stones are a gift from Nepali saints to Ayodhya, he said.

Rai said the meeting also debated on the appearance of the idol, what should be the height of the idol, how the eyes should look, how the lips should be carved out and lot more. Similar stones from all over India are also being brought here for the construction of idols, he added. "The idol of the deity must be life-like", Rai quoted the members who attended the two-day meeting as saying.

The Trust has already determined that the new Ram Lalla idol would be erected in the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Mandir on Makar Sankranti next year. The meeting headed by the chairman of the committee, Nripendra Mishra was attended by Rai, Anil Mishra, Jagatguru Vasudevanand Saraswati, Raja Vimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, and treasurer Govind Dev Giri, among others.