Weeks before the inauguration of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, special offerings from across India including a 108-foot incense stick, a gold bow and arrow and a 2,100kg bell made of eight metals will soon be making their way to the temple town.
Among the exceptional elements that will adorn the new temple, a florist from Gujarat is offering unique flower arrangements to decorate the complex. The flowers will have Ram Lalla's name and "Jai Shri Ram" printed on the petals and thousands of them will be placed near the deity's idol.
The florist, Ashok Bansali, claims it took him four years to develop the technology to print words and even photos on flower petals. Holding up a bunch of pink roses, Mr Bansali showed off his creation.
On the outer petals are photos of PM Narendra Modi, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the words "Ram Lalla" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat".
"I was inspired by PM's call to make in India, so I researched for four years to develop this printing technology. Each flower petal is printed on manually so it takes a long time to create a bunch of these. We are also planning to print similar photos on leaves of indoor plants that will be placed in the temple complex," he said.
In 2020, for the 'bhoomi pujan' or groundbreaking ceremony of the temple, Mr Bansali displayed 500 of his floral creations. But this time the florist aims to replicate the prints in thousands of flowers.
"We have been asked to create 8000 to 10,000 of these flowers but since each petal has to be printed on manually, we are aiming to make 3,000 to 4,000 of these to offer to Lord Ram," he said.
Preparations are in full swing for the mega ceremony which will be held over a span of seven days starting from January 16. Scores of workers from different parts of the country are hard at work at Ram Katha Park to meticulously put together flowers into artistic formations. The designs of these decorations are inspired by the image of Lord Ram, his bow and arrow, Lord Hanuman and religious tilak, among other patterns.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the grand ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 and will address devotees from the man entrance to the temple.