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Attention of a pilgrim visiting Ayodhya's Ramghat locality is caught by a
flurry of activities in the huge stone carving workshop of the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad. Large columns of pink Bharatpur sandstones are littered all
over, on which dozens of craftsmen are at work, chiselling beautiful floral
motifs, the images of gods and goddesses and celestial figures, some in
reclining postures, others standing majestically in bold relief.
Parts of a huge ornamental gate is ready to be Positioned at the site, when
the real construction work would start, none for sure of that date. Carving
of a number of pillars are complete - that provides an insight of the
proposed Ram Janmabhumi temple. A model of the proposed temple is encased
in a glass-case near the entrance of the workshop and a huge bill board
provides details of the architecture of the proposed Ram Janmabhumi temple.
A donation box placed near a makeshift office beacons to the devotees
visiting the workshop and they drop coins and currency notes in deep
reverence - their contribution for construction of the proposed temple
whose fruition is couched in deep uncertainty.
The Ayodhya temple movement is at a low ebb right now. But, the VHP does
not want to be faulted for lack of preparedness. "A temple of the proposed
magnitude cannot take shape overnight," observes Mr. Mahesh Narain Singh, a
leading light of the VHP in Ayodhya. "Who knew, when the freedom movement
began, at what time the country would attain independence. The struggle
and sacrifices continued and so also the obstruction. But nobody cold stop
its fruition. That is true of the Ran] temple movement. We want to lose no
time when the opportunity would manifest itself." The temple will have
liberal use of carved stones and that is a time-consuming exercise. The
work also provides an explanation that the VHP has not stopped its work
after demolition of the disputed structure in December 1992.
The model of the proposed temple has been prepared by a famous architect -
Mr. Chandrakant Sonpura at Gujarat. His forefathers had constructed a
large number of famous temples in Gujarat and other States. including one
in Somnath, confides Mr. Purushottam Singh. The stone craftsmen are giving
shape to stone columns, as per design sheets provided by Mr. Sonpura, who
often visits Ayodhya to oversee progress of' the work.
The work on stone carving began in Ayodhya almost the time the disputed
structure was razed. Nearly, 25 per cent of the work has been completed in
five years. And the slow pace is attributed to the present uncertainty.
Anytime the carving work can be expedited, rushing in hundreds of craftsmen.
Carving work is also in progress at Pindwara in Mt. Abu in Rajasthan for
the Ayodhya temple. The pink sandstones are mostly procured from the
quarries in Bashipahar near Bharatpur in Rajasthan. A number of saw mills
and cranes have been set up to cut stone slabs and columns into desired
sizes. Mr. Narendra Upadhaya, an ex-serviceman from Ranchi in Bihar who is
a full-time worker of the VHP, is in-charge of the carving operation at
Ramghat. At present nearly 50 craftsmen are at work, who belong to Gujarat.
Rajasthan and Bihar. The wages per day vary from Rs. 75 to Rs. 150.
The proposed temple would be 268 feet and five inches in length and 140
feet in breadth and will have a height of 128 feet, details Mr. Upadhaya.
As many as 106 pillars of the size of 16 feet and six inches shall hold the
fist floor of 12 feet and nine inches height. Nearly 50 of these
pillars have been carved by now. There will be another 106 pillars to hold
the second floor of the temple. Each pillar will have 16 figures carved on
them. Bharatpur sandstones have been chosen for its visual appeal owing to
pink colour and relative softness. It is easier to chisel them into desired
shapes and carve out deities and floral motifs on them, confides Ramdhani
who has wide experience of working for temples. "Once all the pillars are
positioned in the temple, there will be few to excel it in beauty in this
part of the country," asserts Mr. Upadhaya.
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