As the consecration ceremony January 22 is coming closer, there are many questions in minds of people. Which idol of Ramlala will be present in the temple? Where has the stone come from for the carving of the idol? On Friday, a meeting of the temple committee was held regarding the selection of the idol for the consecration of Ram Lala. Special Acharya and experts associated with Ram temple have explained the entire process of selection. While Satyanarayan Pandey of Rajasthan has made a white colored idol of Ram Lalla, Arun Yogiraj of Mysore and G L Bhatt of Bengaluru have made a black colored idol.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has finalised the childhood idol of Lord Ram carved on 'Shyam Shila' after getting a nod from Mysuru craftsman Arun Yogiraj. Ram Mandir construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra was among 11 members of Board of Trustees of the trust that examined all the three idols. Their opinion was handed over to Trust's General Secretary Champat Rai.
Out of the three idols, one will be enthroned at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram temple. The remaining two will be placed on the first and second floors of the temple.
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Where did this Krishna Shila come from?
This Krishna rock was selected from Karakala in Karnataka in the month of February-March this year from a small village in Nellikere town of Karakala taluka of Uttara Kannada district, Idu. This stone weighs 10 tonnes and is 6 feet wide and 4 feet thick.
How was the selection done?
If sources are to be believed, at the request of the Trust, renowned architect Kushdeep Bansal first inspected this rock. After getting his approval, a team of experts from the National Rock Institute examined the chemical composition of this rock.
Nelliker stone is the first choice of sculptors
Rock experts found this rock suitable for any weather and environment. This stone is also the first choice of craftsmen, because its chemical composition is quite specific. This rock is neither too hard nor too soft which normally impacts carving of the idol. The specialty of the Krishna stone of Karkala is that it is hard and at the same time its carving is also easy. This is the reason why Nelliker stone is the first choice of sculptors for making the original idol in many temples in South India. After this, famous craftsman of Mysuru, Arun Yogiraj was entrusted with the responsibility of making the idol of Lord Prabhu Shri Ram from this stone.
Mythological significance behind the selection of this stone
Although a total of three stones got final clearance for the construction of the original idol of Ramlala, there is a mythological reason behind why the Trust voted only for the idol carved on the rock of Karkala. Karkala place is about 60 kilometers away from the mythological and spiritual city Sringeri situated on the banks of river Tunga. Shringeri is also mentioned in Treta Yuga. This city is named after the sage Shringa. It is mentioned in Ramayana. It is said that Rishi Shringa had performed the Kameshthi Yagya for the sonless King Dashrath, after which Lord Shri Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan were born in the house of King Dashrath. According to the sources, the members of the Trust were unanimous in their opinion that the childhood idol of Lord Shri Ram should be selected from the rock selected from the penance land of the sage Shringa whose penance led to the birth of Lord Shri Ram in Treta Yuga.
