Ram mandir 'Pran Pratishtha': Unique gifts from across India

From a 108-foot-long incense stick to a Ram temple themed necklace made from 5,000 diamonds, unique gifts were sent to Ram temple ahead of its consecration ceremony on January 22 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

As the country awaits the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya today, special and unique gifts have been sent to the temple from across India for its 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony. Track our live coverage of the event here.

Here's a list of the special gifts:

1. 108-foot-long incense stick

A 108-foot-long incense stick, weighing 3,610 kg and 3.5 feet wide, has been prepared in Gujarat's Vadodara for over six months at an estimated cost of Rs 5 lakh.

"The stick is environment-friendly and will last for about one-and-a-half months, spreading its fragrance over several kilometers," Vadodara resident Viha Bharwad, who has prepared the incense stick, told PTI.

He said 376 kg guggul (gum resin), 376 kg coconut shells, 190 kg ghee, 1,470 kg cow dung, 420 kg herbs are among the ingredients used for the stick, whose height is nearly half of the iconic Qutab Minar in Delhi with a minaret which is 237-feet tall.

2. Ram temple themed necklace

A diamond merchant from Surat has created a necklace on the theme of the Ram temple, made out of 5,000 American diamonds and crafted from two kg of silver. The design has been completed by 40 artisans in 35 days and the necklace has been gifted to the Ram temple trust, ANI reported, citing Kaushik Kakadiya, Director of Rasesh Jewels.

3. Laddu weighing 1,265 kg

A Hyderabad man prepared a 1,265 kg laddu, which is set to be offered at the Ram temple.

4. Silk bed sheet depicting the Shri Ram temple

A silk bed sheet depicting the Shri Ram temple, created by a silk manufacturer from Tamil Nadu, was handed over to Anil Mishra, 'Yajman' of Shri Ram Temple, by Vishwa Hindu Parishad President Alok Kumar.

Kumar also presented organically-produced pure saffron from a group in Kashmir and water from the Kubha (Kabul) river in Afghanistan.

5. A 44-foot-long brass flag pole

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel flagged off a 44-foot-long brass flag pole, weighing 5500 kg, and six other small poles in Ahmedabad for the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony.

6. A 56-inch 'nagaru' from Gujarat

A 56-inch 'nagaru' (temple drum) made of gold foil by the All India Dabgar Samaj in Dariyapur will be installed in the courtyard of the temple.

7. A lock and key weighing 400 kg

A locksmith from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh Satya Prakash Sharma crafted a lock and key weighing 400 kg with the dimensions - 10 feet height, 4.6 feet width and 9.5 inch thick.

"This is the world's largest lock and key. I have gifted it to the trust so it can be used as a symbolic lock at the temple," he told PTI.

8 - Bell weighing 2,100 kg

A bell made from 'ashtadhatu' (alloy of 8 metals) weighing 2,100 kg, was made in Etah's Jalesar, Uttar Pradesh.

9. Clock with time frames of 8 countries

A Lucknow-based vegetable vendor Anil Kumar Sahu (52) designed a special clock which denotes the time in eight countries at the same time. He gifted the clock. measuring 75 cm in diametre, to Champ'at Rai, the General Secretary of the temple trust.

Sahu said that he first made the clock in 2018, and it was given the 'certificate of registration of design' by the Patent Office, Government of India. The clock denotes the time of India, Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia), Dubai (UAE), Beijing (China), Singapore, Mexico City (Mexico), Washington DC and New York (US).

10. A 7,000 kg 'Ram Halwa'

A chef based in Nagpur Vishnu Manohar announced that he will prepare 7,000 kg of 'Ram Halwa', a traditional sweet dish, for the devotees who will attend the consecration ceremony.

11. 1 lakh laddoos by TTD

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the official custodian of Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirupati, has announced that it will send one lakh laddu for distribution to devotees on January 22.

12 - Gold-plated footwear

A kar sevak's son is travelling from Hyderabad to Ayodhya on foot, covering a distance of nearly 8,000 km, to present a gold-plated footwear to Lord Ram.

13. A 1,100 kg lamp

A farmer from Vadodara Arvindbhai Mangalbhai Patel has crafted a giant lamp weighing 1,100 kg, made from 'panchadhatu', (gold, silver, copper, zinc and iron) and has a capacity of 851 kg ghee.