Gold plating of Ram temple spires begins in Ayodhya

Ayodhya (UP): Gold plating the spires of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has begun and is expected to be completed in two to three weeks, chairman of the temple construction committee Nripendra Mishra said on Tuesday.

“We are ensuring that this work is carried out entirely according to the set procedures and safety standards. Experts assigned to this task have arrived in Ayodhya, and the plating process has begun,” he said in the statement.

Mishra said a detailed review of the ongoing construction works is underway.

Construction of the first phase of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was completed last year. An idol of Ram Lalla (child Ram) was consecrated in a ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, 2024. Construction work at other parts of the temple is still going on.

A consecration ceremony will be held at the new Ram Darbar on June 5. Mishra said the idols of Ram, Laxman, and Sita have already arrived and will be installed on the first floor of the temple.

Religious functions linked to it will begin from June 3 onwards. The new portions of the temple are expected to be opened to the public within a week of the June 5 ceremony.

Mishra added the remaining construction work within the temple complex is likely to be completed by September or October.

The Sapta Mandir within the complex has already been completed, and statues of sages will be installed there, he said.

"We have primarily reviewed the progress of the temple’s gates, the assembly hall, and the guest house. The first gate of the temple will now be completed by June 30. Initially scheduled for completion in May, the gate had to be rebuilt due to some technical issues," Mishra said.

Gate number 11 will be completed by August, and work on Gate number 3 will commence thereafter, he said.

“This phase of the Ram temple's construction is becoming a symbol of faith and a historic step towards national pride and cultural renaissance,” Mishra said.