Hyderabad: The doors to Ram temple in Ayodhya --- that will be consecrated in January -- open via Hyderabad. A city-based firm is crafting the door to the sanctum sanctorum as well as 17 doors in the main temple and those in structures around.
The inauguration of the temple will take place on January 22 and most of the construction on the first floor of the temple is done. The work has now progressed to the level of decorations, which will take up the rest of the remaining period.
Sarath Babu, director Of Anuradha Timbers International, told NDTV in an exclusive interview that the door to the sanctum sanctorum --- which will house the idol of 5-year-old Lord Ram -- will be a formidable one. The 8-feet tall doors will be 12-feet wide and six inches thick.
"So far 18 doors of the main temple are competed and 100 frames around the temple. Until yesterday, we completed 118 doors," he said, predicting that the number is likely to go up.
The doors -- being built by craftsmen from Tamil Nadu -- will be designed in Nagara style, displaying traditional Indian motifs of lotus, peacocks and other birds.
Nagara is the north Indian style of temple architecture that is said to have started in the Gupta period in the Third Century CE and continued till the advent of Muslims.
The wood used for the doors is Balarshah teak from Maharashtra, which will be covered with gold leaf.
Asked about the selection process, Mr Babu said the temple committee had "invited" the biggest names in the business. They were asked to build a model of the temple, after which his firm was called in and given the job of doing the doors.