Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple stands tall on the banks of River Sarayu in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, a testament to India’s piety and resilience, and artistic, engineering and technological capabilities.

Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Lord Ram, is steeped in centuries of history, and the temple that has now risen in the janmasthan, represents a structure reborn out of advanced construction techniques, but not before overcoming engineering challenges.

Spread over a 2.77-acre piece of land within the 70-acre Ram Janmabhoomi premises, the three-tier temple has been constructed in the Nagara style – where the structure is built on a raised platform called jagati. Mandapas in front of the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) are festooned with shikharas.

Designed in line with the Vastushastra ans Shilpishastra, the temple is an architectural and engineering marvel that can withstand another thousand years with no requirement for repairs and survive a 6.5 magnitude earthquake.

Following intense research, the structural framework has been built in line with the time-honoured methods of temple construction by using stone that lasts for at least a thousand years. Experts say, iron was avoided in the construction of the temple as it may lead to corrosion, reducing its lifespan to about 200 years at the maximum.

When soil testing led to the discovery of loose sand unsuitable for laying a foundation, India’s finest minds stepped in to resolve the issue. Up to 14 metres of sand across 6 acres of soil was shovelled out and filled with 56 layers of a special kind of concrete mixture called ‘roller compacted concrete’, to prepare rocks for the foundation.

Over two lakh bricks with ‘Shri Ram’ inscribed in different languages collected from all over the country 30 years ago constitute the foundation.

Architectural and aesthetic principles of Hindu temple construction shine through the structure that has been meticulously crafted by skilled craftsmen and artisans.

Experts from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, and Bombay, along with collaborators from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Surat, Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee, and the National Geo Research Institute in Hyderabad, as well as the National Institute of Rock Mechanics, collaborated to finalise the design of the temple.

Larsen & Toubro is the Design & Build Contractor and the Project Management Company is Tata Consulting Engineers Limited ( TCEL).

More than 4,000 workers, including 460 craftsmen, worked round the clock to prepare the temple’s ground floor for the consecration ceremony (pran pratistha) of the Ram idol on January 22, 2024.

Reflecting a pan-India character, Shri Ram Mandir is held together by the country’s rich resources – Makrana marble and pink sandstone from Rajasthan, granite stone from Tamil Nadu and Telangana, coloured marble from Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, brassware from Moradabad, and gold and teakwood for the main structure from Maharashtra.

The temple is a reflection of India’s celebrated diversity. While granite from Karnataka and Telangana adorns the plinth of the temple, stone for superstructure has been sourced from Rajasthan, and stone for the flooring from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Odisha’s artists workmanship is evident in the iconography on the sandstones, and artists from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have put their stamp on the wood carving.

The primary temple structure is crafted from 4.7 lakh cubic feet of pink sandstone sourced from Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, while the plinths feature 17,000 granite stones, and the intricate inlay work is adorned with white Makrana and coloured marbles.

Teakwood sourced from the Balarshah and Allapalli forest ranges in Maharashtra has been utilised in crafting 44 doors for the temple.

Gujarat’s Chandrakant Sompura, the chief architect, has contributed in designing the temple.

The idol of ‘Ramlalla’, a 51-inch-tall Krishna Shila (Shyam Varn) idol of Lord Ram, was carved by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj.

Apart from the sanctum sanctorum, the temple houses five mandaps — Gudh Mandap, Rang Mandap, Nritya Mandap, Prathana Mandap and Kirtan Mandap. The domes of the mandaps are 34 feet wide and 32 feet long.

The temple complex has its own sewage and water treatment plants, fire service, and an independent power station.

A retaining wall of granite protects the temple from any early damage that seepage of water from River Sarayu, can possibly cause.

The temple has also been installed with a 200KA lightning arrester to protect the structure from damage by lightning.

While the temple premises can accommodate 1,500 people at a time, it has the capacity to handle a footfall of 2 lakh pilgrims in a day.

Key features of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple

• The temple’s dimensions: length (east to west) 380 feet; width: 250 feet; height:161 feet.
• It is a three-storey structure with each floor standing at a height of 20 feet.
• The temple boasts 392 pillars and 44 gates.
• The main sanctum houses infant Ram Ramlalla, and the first floor features Shri Ram Darbar (Lord Ram’s court).
• The temple includes five pavilions, namely dance, colour, sabha, prayer, and kirtan.
• Pillars and walls will be embellished with carved statues of gods and goddesses.
• Entry to the temple will be from the east side, climbing 32 stairs from Singhdwar.
• Provisions for ramps and lifts have been made for the disabled and elderly.
• Four temples dedicated to the Sun God, Mother Bhagwati, Ganapati, and Lord Shiva have been constructed at the four corners of the premises. Temples for Maa Annapurna and Hanuman are in the northern and southern sides, respectively.
• Sitakoop from the mythological period is present near the temple.
• Other temples in the complex have been dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki, Maharishi Vashishtha, Maharishi Vishwamitra, Maharishi Agastya, Nishadraj, Mata Shabari, and Rishipatni Devi Ahilya.
• The ancient Lord Shiva temple on Navratna Kuber Tila in the southwestern part has been renovated, and a Jatayu statue has been installed.
• A 14-metre-thick roller compacted concrete (RCC) foundation has been laid, resembling an artificial rock.
• A 21-foot-high plinth made of granite will protect the temple from soil moisture.
• A Pilgrims Facility Centre with a capacity for 25,000 is being constructed, and will feature lockers, medical facilities, and amenities.
• The temple premises has bathroom facilities, toilets, wash basins, and open taps.
• The temple has been constructed employing using indigenous technology, with a focus on environment. Of the total 70-acre area, 70% will remain green forever.
• The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple construction is managed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
• The estimated cost of the temple’s construction is expected to range between Rs 1,400 crore and Rs 1,800 crore.
• Each of the 30-foot-high pillars has an ornamental orb which when lit at night resembles the sun.