Doordarshan Working On A Series On The Ram Temple

National broadcaster Doordarshan is looking at documenting the extensive work being put by craftsmen, architects, workers, priests and design experts in the building of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and is likely to come up with a series on it in the near future.

According to a person with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the proposal is being mulled at senior levels and contours of the series are being planned with subject experts. They want to get people involved in the experience, because logon ke hai Raam (Ram belongs to people), said the person quoted above.

Various aspects of the temple, be it the faith attached to the deity, the construction of the pillars or worship rituals, and even the sheer amount of work being done in building the temple will be shown to people, the person said.

Only recently, two sacred Shaligram stones, weighing 31 tonnes and 15 tonnes—expected to be used for constructing the idols of Lord Ram and Janaki at the Ram Temple—arrived at the site. They were brought to the site of construction from Galeshwar Dham in Janakpur in Nepal, by a delegation of 150 people. Shaligram stones are revered by Hindus, who believe them to be a representation of Lord Vishnu.

Meanwhile, the Union Secretary of Information and Broadcasting Ministry Apurva Chandra visited Ayodhya to oversee the ongoing Ram Temple construction work, on Thursday. The Secretary also offered prayers before the deity. 

Chandra told reporters that the construction work of the temple is going on in full swing and work on the first floor of the temple (Garbh Grah of Ramlala) will be completed by December 2023. 

As of now, around 25,000 devotees visit Ayodhya daily and on special occasions, around 1 lakh devotees come to the temple, Chandra said.

According to Chandra, the number of devotees and tourists will significantly go up once the temple is ready and that would increase employment opportunities at the place.

The Secretary said that the overall development of Ayodhya is going on, which includes the construction of four-lane roads and new hotels. He also interacted with the construction workers and visited the newly constructed railway station that has the capacity to cater to 5 lakh tourists per day.

Meanwhile, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is overseeing the temple construction, has planned a grand nine-day Ram Navami celebration, beginning March 21, in Ayodhya.

Called Shri Ramjanam Mahotsav, the celebration will include cultural and religious programmes, parikrama of 3-km-long Ramkot by saints, bhandaras (mass feast), and sports activities at various places in Ayodhya