Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya in January 2024. Well ahead of that, a replica of Ayodhya Ram Temple will be inaugurated in the heart of Kolkata at the end of next month.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to inaugurate this temple. The only difference between the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir and its replica in Kolkata is that the latter is made of bamboo and foam.
Kolkata's renowned Santosh Mitra Square puja committee is all set to welcome Goddess Durga and her entourage with the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple-themed pandal this year. Not only has the pandal be modelled after the temple, but two 50-feet tall idols of Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman are being installed at the pandal premises to offer a complete ambience of the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
The puja committee has already completed the bamboo structure of the pandal. Now, work is underway to carve the intricate designs. Artists have come up with various designs on foam that will be adorned on the structure. A host of fibre works will also be showcased.
Sajal Ghosh, a puja committee member said that Santosh Mitra Square has the tradition of throwing surprises every year. "This year too there is a big surprise for the puja revelers. Our mandap has been modelled after the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya," he told ETV Bharat. Ghosh, however, said he would not share any further details as it has been left for the people, who visit here to see for themselves.
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Meanwhile, PM Modi is reportedly scheduled to inaugurate the temple between January 21-24, 2024. The exact date for inauguration has not been declared till now. Officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said that the an auspicious 'muhurat' will be chosen and the prime minister will be informed accordingly. The preparations for the inauguration will begin from January 14 onwards.
