Maharashtra's famed teakwood to adorn Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya

The stars of late Ramanand Sagar’s epic TV series Ramayan - Arun Govil, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala and Sunil Lahiri among others would join yoga guru Ramdev Baba, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and who’s who of various fields when the first consignment of teak-wood from Chandrapur district from Maharashtra is sent to the holy pilgrimage town of Ayodhya where the grand temple of Lord Ram is being made.

The function is slated to be held on 29 March on the eve of the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami.

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It may be mentioned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the Lord Ram Temple on 5 August, 2020.

The temple is expected to be inaugurated in January 2024.

The wood is being provided through the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (FDCM).

State Forest and Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who hails from Chandrapur, has taken the lead in organising the event which would involve ‘kashta pujan’ (worshipping the wood) and a grand ‘shobhayatra’ (procession).

Several MPs, MLAs and MLCs from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh would be present on the occasion.

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“Teakwood is being sent by the forest department,” Mungantiwar said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary Champat Rai has thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrapur for the wood supplies.

The teak wood would be used to make the temple’s main doors, inside doors, the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum, and other floors besides any more wooden requirements for the entire temple complex.

The grand procession will start at Ballarpur with the worship of two ancient trees named ‘Ram' and ‘Laxman’ and then at the Mahakali temple.

These will see a display of 43 types of folk arts of Maharashtra by 2,100 artists from across the state, with art forms like mallakhamb, dindi, lezim, dhol pathak, dhwaj pathak, Dashavatar, Gangaur, Tarpa, and presentations on the concept of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

Besides, Maharashtra’ ‘Narishakti’ and ‘Sade Tin Shaktipithe’ tableaux – which bagged the second prize in this year's Republic Day celebrations, and Uttar Pradesh’s tableaux that won the third prize – shall also join the Chandrapur processions.

Playback singer Kailash Kher will render bhajans.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Chairman Nripendra Mishra had met the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun in Uttarakhand for the purpose which informed that the best quality of teak-wood in India can be sourced from Chandrapur.