NEW DELHI: The Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh is set to be completed in January 2024 marking the end of a nationwide movement. Construction began after a Supreme Court decision in November 2019, following years of legal battles. The project is expected to take a thousand years.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Temple Trust has announced that the main idol of Ramalalla (young Lord Rama) will be placed in the shrine on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. The temple will open to devotees on January 24 and all nearby hotel rooms are already fully booked for the event which will last ten days.

The temple is built from renowned Bansi Paharpur pink marble from Bayana, Rajasthan, also used in the construction of the Akshardham Temple, Parliament Complex and Agra Fort. A total of 4 lakh cubic feet of this stone has been used.

Key details about the Ayodhya Temple

Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone on August 5, 2020.

The temple spans 54,700 square feet across three floors and is 360 feet long, 235 feet wide, and 161 feet high. It features five domes and a 161-foot tower.

The construction is managed by the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Temple Trust, with a total cost of Rs 1,800 crore.

Foreign donations are allowed for this project.

A notable feature is a 6-foot tall, 5-foot wide, 2,100 kg bell, priced at 21 lakh rupees.

The design led by Chandrakant Bhai Sompura follows a North Indian temple style with the east gate designed in the South Indian temple gopura style. The walls are adorned with carvings depicting the life of Lord Rama.

The main shrine houses Ramlalla, discovered in 1949, along with a substantial statue. The shrine is octagonal in shape, and on every Ramnavami day, sunlight falls on the main shrine.

There are ninety bronze panels illustrating the life of Lord Rama.

Unlike using iron, copper bars were used in construction and there are no bricks.

The facility can accommodate ten lakh devotees.

In addition to the main temple, there are sub-deity temples spread across 70 acres.

Visitors can book their visits through the website srjbtkshetra.org.