Three-billion-old rock used in making of Ram Lalla idol

NEW DELHI – The 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla (five-year-old deity), which was consecrated at a grand ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, was carved out of a three billion-year-old rock.

The idol, chiselled by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, was selected from among the three murtis commissioned by the temple trust.

According to reports, it has been carved out of a three billion-year-old azure-coloured Krishna Shila (black schist).

The rock was excavated from Gujjegowdanapura at Jayapura Hobli in HD Kote Taluk of Mysuru.

It is a fine-to-medium-grained, sky-blue metamorphic rock. It is usually called soapstone because of its smooth surface texture and is ideal for sculptors to carve idols.

The stone is called “krishna shila” due to its identical colour as that of Lord Krishna.

The stone starts off with a soft texture when quarried and gradually hardens over 2–3 years.

About ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony

An idol of the 51-inch Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ram Temple on Monday January, 22 in a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go beyond the mandir’s construction to build the foundation of a “strong, capable and divine” India of the next 1000 years.

Millions of people watched the “Pran Pratishtha” (consecration) ceremony on television in their homes and neighbourhood temples, savouring the historic moment.

The doors of the Ram temple in Ayodhya opened to the public on Tuesday, January 23, a day after the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of the Ram Lalla idol.

Picture: AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar Hindu devotees participate in a religious procession in Hyderabad, India, during the inauguration of a temple dedicated to the Hindu Lord Ram in Ayodhya last month.

Picture: AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool Hindu women dancing at the opening of a grand temple for the Lord Ram, in India’s northern Ayodhya city during a procession in Mumbai, India.

Picture: AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh Workers decorate a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Ram with flowers the day before the temple’s grand opening in Ayodhya, India.