A Ganesh pandal set up on the theme of the under-construction Ram temple in Ayodhya is attracting huge crowds in Gujarat's Surat city, with the organisers saying its pillars and lighting give visitors a feel of actually being inside the temple.
The pandal's entrance is an exact replica of the Ayodhya temple's entrance, they claimed.
The sprawling pandal, spread across 125 X 65 metres area, has been erected on Bhatar road by a group of people engaged in making pandals for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival for the last 25 years.
This year, the 10-day Ganpati festival commenced on Wednesday.
"Last year, our pandal was set up on the theme of Jaipur city. This year, we chose the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Through this pandal, we want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts in realising the dream of all Hindus to have a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya," the main organiser, Kamal Mevawala, told PTI.
The pandal was erected at a cost of nearly Rs 60 lakh, which came from donations, he said.
"Inside the pandal, we have put large posters to showcase the life of Lord Ram as depicted in the epic Ramayana. The idol of Lord Ganesh installed in the pandal has been brought from Mumbai. It was created by the artists who make the famous Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh idol in Mumbai," he said.
"It took about two months to build this structure. Based on the photographs available online, we drew the design and then built pillars using fibre and grass. They are painted in such a way that they look like the original temple pillars made of stone," Mevawala said.
The pandal's entrance is an exact replica of the Ram temple's entrance, he said.
"The pillars and lighting inside the pandal will give an impression that you are actually inside the temple. Due to the structural limitations, we have not created the shikhar (spire). So the pandal will look like the Ram temple from the front and inside, not outside," he explained.
The pandal has already become an instant hit with nearly 8,000 to 10,000 people visiting it daily, said Mr Mevawala, who is also a property dealer.
People who donate cash are given a notebook in return with a request to give it to the needy children, he said.
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