Watch: Devotees Touch, Offer Flowers to 350-Tonne Stones Enroute to Ayodhya From Nepal for Ram-Sita Idols

Ayodhya Ram Temple: The construction work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is in full swing and in Home Minister Amit Shah's words, the temple will be ready by January 2024. While high-quality stones are being used by the artisans for making temple exterior, Nepal is sending two huge shilas (stones) to Ayodhya temple for carving Ram-Sita idols from them. While Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, has refused to comment on whether the shilas will be used to build the idols or not, according to reports, the committee is also considering the use of Makrana marble for making the idols, but nothing has been finalized yet.

Nepal is sending two shaligram shilas from the Kali Gandaki River to Ayodhya and a ceremony was organised in Pokhara to hand over the two holy stones to Janakpurdham on 26th January. The stone is being transported using two trucks and the convoys will travel through Janakpurdham, Pipraun Girjasthan of Madhubani, Muzaffarpur and Gorakhpur to reach Ayodhya. It's likely to reach Ayodhya on February 1.

Now a video has surfaced where locals from Nepal can be seen offering prayers to the shilas. The stones weigh 350 tonnes and are seven feet long. Reports said that the stones were identified by a team of experts, including geologists and technicians and will last for thousands of years and won't be damaged by earthquakes.

The Shaligram stone from Gandaki river, Nepal taken to #Ayodhya for carving of the Sita Rama deities.#ayodhyarammandir pic.twitter.com/7j52ZvOeMJ — RP Singh National Spokesperson BJP (@rpsinghkhalsa) January 28, 2023

It may be noted that the Kali Gandaki river, popularly known as Narayani, is the only source of the shaligram shila. The Shaligram shilas are worshipped as Lord Vishnu and Lord Ram is said to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

In November last year, Rai had written to Nepal's Janaki Temple welcoming the idea of getting stones from the Kali Gandaki river to build Ram-Sita idols.