Odisha sculptor creates Ram Mandir replica using matchsticks

Puri: Ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a sculptor from Odisha, Saswat Ranjan, made a replica of Ayodhya’s Ram temple using matchsticks in Puri.

The artist Saswat Ranjan said, “It took six days to complete this replica of Ayodhya’s Ram mandir. I used a total of 936 matchsticks to finish this project. The Ram Mandir replica has a length of 14 inches and a width of seven inches. I don’t think that it is possible to make a Ram Mandir replica using matchsticks smaller than this.”

Ranjan has also expressed his desire to present the Ram Mandir replica he made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I wish to give this to PM Modi. I want somebody to help me do this.”

The historic ritual of ‘Pran Pratistha’ by Ram Lalla today will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saints, and a host of distinguished guests.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust announced on Sunday that the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony will be marked by a dazzling musical event titled ‘Mangal Dhwani’.

The soiree, featuring some of the biggest names in the world of music, will be staged at 10 a.m.
The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya Temple will be held at 12:30 pm.

Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh has been decked up with posters and flags of Lord Ram, while cities across the country have been decorated with lights, huge cutouts of Lord Ram, and posters bearing religious slogans related to Lord Ram.

Special guests from the cricket world, film world, saint society, politics, art, literature, culture, and other fields have also been invited to the ceremony. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.