Ram Lalla idol at the temple in Ayodhya
Credit: PTI File Photo
A ‘golden kodand’ (divine bow), made of ‘panchdhatu’ (a sacred alloy of gold, silver, copper, zinc and iron considered to be deeply rooted in Indian culture and symbolizing cosmic energy and used for rituals, spiritual and astrological benefits) and weighing about 286 kilogram, was gifted to ‘Ram Lala’ (Lord Rama as a child) at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Thursday.
The ‘kodand’, which was brought to Ayodhya from Odisha, was first kept at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) office at ‘Karsevakpuram’ and was later handed over to the Ram Temple Trust.
The ‘kodand shobha yatra’ started from Rourkela in Odisha for Ayodhya on January three this year.
It was taken to the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri in Odisha on January 19 and traversed through 30 districts in that state before reaching Ayodhya.
The VHP officials said that it took eight months for 48 women artisans to make the ‘kodand’, which was around 8 feet long and 2.5 feet wide.
The ‘kodand’ also contained the names of Kargil martyrs and its estimated cost was stated to be around Rs 1.25 crore.
VHP sources said that thousands of people had ‘darshan’ of the ‘kodand’ on its way to Ayodhya.
The ‘kodand’ was a symbol of Lord Rama’s bravery, and religion.’’It is not only a religious symbol but is also an example of Sanatan culture, and faith,’’ said a VHP functionary in Ayodhya.
Barely a few days back, a rare manuscript of 233 year old Sanskrit Valmiki Ramayana was gifted to 'Ram Lala' and was kept at the Ram Katha Kunj at Ayodhya.