Ram Temple inauguration: Devotee gifts 2400 kg giant metal bell made of 'ashtadhatu'

A giant bell, weighing 2400 kg offered by a delegation at Ram Temple. Pic/PTI

The preparations for the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram Temple on January 22 are in full swing. Apart from the government and Ram temple trust, the devotees as well are participating and contributing for the historic ceremony. In one such example, a businessman from Jalesar Nagar Panchayat of Etah district handed over a 2400-kilogram bell, made of 'ashtadhatu' (eight metals), to the Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust on Wednesday.

The bell is made of eight metals, including gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron and mercury, and is among the largest in the country.

It is being claimed that the sound of this bell, crafted in a single casting, can be heard up to 10 kilometers and its manufacturing cost is approx. 25 lakhs. Aditya Mittal, a metal businessman Manoj, Rishank, Prashant Mittal and around 500 devotees handed over the bells to the temple Trust's Secretary, Champat Rai, Dinesh Chandra of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rajendra Singh Pankaj, among others at Karsewakpuram in Ayodhya, ANI reported.

Additionally, seven more bells, each weighing 51 kilograms, were also presented. On January 4, a 51-inch-tall idol of Lord Ram Lalla, prepared by a Jaipur-based sculptor, reached Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. Chandresh Pandey, the sculptor of the idol, said that he was among the artists who were tasked with carving Lord Ram Lalla's statue which would then be selected to be installed in the Ram Temple's consecration ceremony, the ANI report added.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government authorities are giving its outmost resources for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. With just couple of weeks left for the grand event, the local civic body has decided to deploy 800 cleaning staff in Ayodhya to present a clean city for the devotees. Ahead of Makar Sankranti festival and Lord Ram's Pran Pratishtha ceremony, devotees have started to visit Ayodhya in large numbers already. As the number of tourists and pilgrims visiting Ayodhya continues to rise, the city is facing an increasing demand for facilities and services to meet the growing demand.

The deployment of the cleaning staff will be completed with the engagement of appropriate manpower for a limited period of two months. During this time, there will be 24x7 deployment of temporary workers in shifts, news wire PTI reported.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)