Over 1,000 km From Ayodhya, Another Ram Temple Inaugurated

Over 1,000 km away from the historic city of Ayodhya, another grand Ram Temple today became a spiritual landmark, standing tall atop a hill around 1,800 feet above sea level in Odisha. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed consecration rituals at the opening of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, the village of Fategarh in Nayagarh witnessed the inauguration of a 73-foot-tall shrine dedicated to Lord Ram.

According to local media reports, the temple, standing at a height of 165 feet, was completed through generous donations from villagers and devotees across the state. The residents of Fategarh contributed half of the funds required for the temple's construction.

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Initiated in 2017, the temple project became a labour of love for more than 150 dedicated workers who toiled over seven years to build it, as reported by Prameya.

The hill temple is expected to become a potential magnet for tourism, according to local reports.

The roots of this endevour trace back to the 1912 'Nabakalebar' - the recreation of the wooden icons of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Shubhadra - where Fategarh played a key role by providing a sacred tree for wood that was part of the ritual, OTV reports.

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To honour this historic connection and commemorate the event, the villagers formed the Shri Ram Seva Parishad committee that spearheaded the temple's initiation and eventual completion.

According to OTV, the site of the temple holds a rich history, with locals recounting that in times of drought, prayers were offered at this very spot as a plea for rain, calling it Giri Govardhan.

Constructed in the traditional Odia architectural style, reminiscent of iconic structures like the revered Tara Tarini and Konark Temples, the shrine's sanctum sanctorum soars to an impressive height of 65 feet. Surrounding the main temple are four additional sanctuaries dedicated to the Sun God, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, and Lord Hanuman.