Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya on August 5 at 12:15 pm, at the auspicious time when the faithful believe that Lord Ram was born.
“The bhoomi pujan will be held precisely at 12:15 pm on August 5. This is the auspicious time that Lord Ram was born and the rituals for temple construction will begin at the same time,” Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust said.
The Prime Minister will lay the first brick – made up of 40 kg silver – amid vedic chants to symbolically mark the start of the temple construction.
The temple's proposed height has also been increased to 161 feet against the 128 feet planned earlier, and it will now have five domes instead of three, the Trust said.
The temple’s width is likely to be increased from 140 feet to 270- 280 feet. The length is likely to increase from 268 feet to 280-300 feet.
L&T is constructing the temple, which has been designed by architect Chandrakant Sompura. Sompura’s sons – Nikhil and Ashish – are reworking the design.
The Prime Minister’s participation in the foundation stone laying ceremony kicked off a political controversy with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar questioning taking a swipe at Modi saying “some people think temple construction will mitigate the Covid-19 crisis”.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who leads the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition government, is also expected to travel to Ayodhya for the foundation stone laying ceremony.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh hit out at the Centre for not giving Shankaracharyas any representation in the Trust and filling it instead with Vishwa Hindu Parishad and BJP representatives.
“Everyone wants that grand Ram Temple to be built. But they (the Centre) didn't give place to Shankaracharyas in the Nyas, instead, VHP and BJP leaders have been made its members. We object to this,” he added.