AYODHYA: Soon after Union Home Minister Amit Shah made the announcement that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be opened for devotees by January 1, 2024, the Sri Rama Janmabhoomi Teertha Temple Trust has accelerated the construction work. The work is now progressing with the aim of completing the garbhagriha (sreekovil) and opening it to the devotees by coming October.

The idol installation ceremony in the temple will be held between December 21 and January 14, 2024. The ground works are going on now. 550 workers work here in two shifts every day to complete the construction on time. There is strict security at the construction site.

Ram Mandir trust secretary Champat Rai said the progress in the construction work is satisfactory. All the supervisors and engineers are confident that the work can be completed within the stipulated time.

The ground floor will be completed by October this year. 16 idols of Gods will be carved in each column. Prana pratishtha (idol installation ceremony) is performed between December 21 and Makar Sankranti according to the auspicious time. The temple will be opened for devotees after this. Meantime, Champat Rai responded that he is not thinking about the deadline given by Amit Shah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the temple in August 2020.

Amit Shah while addressing a rally in Tripura's Sabroom, where assembly elections are due, announced that the construction would be completed by January 1. He had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is behind the realization of the temple and Congress had tried to block the construction of the temple.