Ayodhya Ram temple: special stones brought from Nepal to make Ram, Sita idols

Two Shaligram stones were received in Ayodhya on February 2, where they will be used in the construction of the idols of Hindu deity Lord Ram and Janaki.

A Ram Temple trust official told the news agency PTI, 'One rock weighs 26 tonnes and the other weighs 14 tonnes.'

Priests and local devotees welcomed the large boulders with chants and decorated them with garlands on Thursday. Soon after, they were handed over to the Shree Ramjanmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, in charge of the under-construction Ram Temple.

The stones were transported to India from Nepal's Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita. Before arriving in Ayodhya, the stones reached Gorakhpur on Wednesday where devotees were allowed to offer prayers.

The Shaligram stones are known to be found only on the banks of Kali Gandaki River that flows through Myagdi and Mustang districts, close to Saligrama or Muktinath (place of salvation) in Nepal.

'There is a waterfall named Kali Gandaki in Nepal. It originates from Damodar Kund and is around 85 km north of Ganeshwar Dham Gandki. Both these boulders have been brought from there. The place is situated at a height of 6,000 feet above sea-level. People even say that it is crores of years old,' Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, General Secretary, Champat Rai told news agency ANI.

The two stones have been approved both technically and scientifically for the making of the idol, informed the Nepali officials.

(agency inputs)

Also Watch: Plea against Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha event in Mumbai: why SC didn't want to hear alleged hate speech case