1. Fatehgarh in Odisha’s Nayagarh district prepares for the consecration ceremony of a 73-foot-high Ram temple on Monday.
2. The temple, situated atop a hill 1,800 feet above sea level, has been constructed over five years through community donations.
3. Built at a cost of around Rs 20 crore, the grand temple mirrors the ceremonial events in Ayodhya, marking a significant cultural moment.
Bhubaneswar, Jan 21: Residents of Fatehgarh in Odisha’s Nayagarh district are set to celebrate the consecration ceremony of a 73-foot-high Ram temple on Monday, coinciding with the consecration ceremony of the Ram idol in Ayodhya.
Perched on a hilltop approximately 1,800 feet above sea level, the grand Ram temple in Odisha is the culmination of five years of dedicated efforts and community contributions amounting to around Rs 20 crore.
Yudhisthira Khuntia, the general secretary of Sri Ram Parishad, expressed that several dignitaries, including Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, have confirmed their attendance at the inaugural function.
The temple’s construction journey began with the silanyasa rituals in 2017, followed by the actual construction in 2018, supported entirely by donations from devotees. To facilitate easy access for worshippers, a two-kilometer motorable road has been built with the help of villagers.
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The consecration rituals have commenced, marked by the Kalasha Yatra held on Thursday. The villagers are actively participating in the preparations, with hundreds of women fetching water from the Mahanadi River for the consecration ceremony.
The temple will house statues of Lord Ram, Lord Laxman, and Goddess Sita inside the sanctum sanctorum, while additional shrines for Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Surya will also be constructed on the temple premises.
Tapan Patnaik, another member of the community, explained the spiritual significance of the hilltop, citing past worship practices during drought-like situations.
He also mentioned a dream experienced by a villager, where the Lord expressed the desire for a temple atop the hills.
Inspired by these spiritual connections, nearly 400 to 500 artisans worked on the temple’s construction, noteworthy for its exclusive use of Khondalite stones (Baulamala pathara) without the incorporation of iron rods. This unique approach aligns with the religious sentiments and cultural history associated with the hill.
