Ahead of consecration ceremony demand for Surat-made Ayodhya Ram Mandir replicas surge

Surat: With the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya just a month away, there is immense enthusiasm among the devotees. with the upcoming Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla, one businessman in the city is creating a replica of the Ayodhya Ram temple out of wood with the aim of bringing the essence of the temple to people’s homes. Currently, the artisan is receiving 100 daily orders for the Ram Mandir replicas, with the ambitious goal of constructing one lakh temples.

Rajeshbhai Shekhda has been running a corporate gift shop on Surat’s Canal Road, Punagam area for the past 13 years. The idea of making a replica of the Ram temple arose when the final design of the Ayodhya temple was released, featuring a 3D image. The temple is being constructed from wood using laser cutting technology, replicating the sanctum sanctorum, auditorium, dome, and three-way gate of the Ram Mandir. Around 30 women are actively involved in building these temples.

Rajeshbhai shared that the inspiration to create the replica emerged when the foundation for the construction of the Ram temple was laid. With the approaching prana pratistha ceremony of Ram Mandir in January, there is immense enthusiasm among the people. The goal is to make the essence of the Ram Mandir accessible to all households, acknowledging that not everyone can visit Ayodhya.

The team has strived to make the temple vivid, using wooden color and constructing it in various sizes to resemble the Ayodhya temple. The sizes of temples range from 4*6 inches to 4*6 feet, with weights varying from 500 grams to 30 kg. The temple is designed and built according to the scale of the actual temple, and no color is used to ensure the shine of the MDF pinewood ply remains intact for up to 100 years.

Thirty women are actively working to connect different parts of the temple, having received training for the temple replica construction. It takes approximately 3 hours for these women to prepare a small temple, while a larger temple requires about 4 days.

Rajeshbhai added that they have already built more than 5 thousand temples, catering to orders from across the country. The demand for the Ram Mandir replicas is high, with people ordering them for personal use and as gifts for others. Orders are continuing to come in from Gujarat, and the majority are from other states, including Uttar Pradesh. Currently, their goal is to build around 1 lakh temples. DeshGujarat