New Delhi: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya has been built to last a thousand years, said engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) which designed and constructed the temple complex in roughly three years as mandated by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir has been built in the customary Nagara style. The three-story temple is 161.75 feet high, 380 feet long, and 249.5 feet wide. It is supported by 392 pillars and 44 doors, and measures 380 feet long (east-west), 250 feet wide, and 161 feet high. Its five pavilions are the main shikhara, the dance pavilion, the color pavilion, the esoteric pavilion, the kirtan pavilion, and the prayer pavilion. The temple’s walls and pillars are adorned with finely carved representations of Hindu gods and goddesses. The idol of Shri Ramlalla, Bhagwan Shri Ram, in his childhood form, is placed in the main sanctum sanctorum on the ground floor.
Materials used in construction of the Ram Temple
Work on the temple was started by L&T in May 2020. To ensure resistance to corrosion over time, it began with a multi-layered foundation that was creatively constructed without the use of metals like iron or steel. To do this, the company worked with IIT Madras. It made use of an engineering fill that was specially made, a raft foundation made of cement concrete, and a 21-foot-tall plinth made of granite stones that were transported from south India.
Pink Bansi Paharpur stones, which are mined in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, were the primary building material for the Ram temple. The intricate carvings on the stones were created by a team of approximately 1,500 artisans.
The temple is built to withstand potentially very intense zone 4 seismic activity.
The temple is made up of 390 pillars in total, six of which are made of Makrana marble and are adorned with elaborate carvings that depict over 10,000 idols and themes on each floor.
Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational company involved in hi-tech manufacturing, services, and EPC projects. It has operations in more than 50 countries and, in addition to India, a manufacturing footprint that spans eight countries.