Ayodhya Ram Mandir’s Ram Lalla idol to be now called ‘Balak Ram’

The Ram temple'snew Ram Lalla idol, which was consecrated at the grand Ram temple on Monday (Jan 22), has now been named “Balak Ram” since the idol is the image of the deity as a five-year-old boy in a standing posture.

"The idol of Lord Ram, whose consecration was done on January 22, has been named as 'Balak Ram'. The reason for naming the idol of Lord Ram as 'Balak Ram' is that he resembles a child, whose age is five years," said Arun Dixit, a priest who was involved in the consecration ceremony, while speaking to PTI.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"The first time I saw the idol, I was thrilled and tears started rolling down my face. I cannot explain the feeling I experienced then," he said.

The priest, who is based in the Indian city of Varanasi and has carried out nearly 50-60 consecrations, said, "Of all the consecrations (I have) performed so far, this is the most 'alaukik' (divine)and 'sarvochch' (supreme) for me."

Idol carved out of 2.5 billion-year-old black granite stone: Report

The 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla is said to have been created using special black granite, which was brought from the Indian state of Karnataka and was reported to be 2.5 billion years old.

"The stone is 2.5 billion years old," said HS Venkatesh, Director of the National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM), Bengaluru, while speaking to various media outlets.

The National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM) is the facility which helped in carrying out tests with the use of physico-mechanical analysis.

Watch:Ram Mandir Ayodhya: Moment Ram Lalla's face unveiled

"The rock is highly durable and resistant to climatic variation and will sustain thousands of years in this subtropical zone with minimum maintenance," said Dr Venkatesh.

Meanwhile, Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh said that the Ram Temple was constructed using the highest quality stones and traditional architectural designs, and had also incorporated modern engineering and science techniques which makeit durable. "It has been designed to last for more than 1,000 years," he added.

As per media reports, the stone was selected from the village Jayapura Hobli in Mysuru district, which is famous for high-quality granite mines.

The reports suggest that the rock belongs to the pre-Cambrian era which is said to have started some four billion plus years ago.

The stone was turned into the Ram Lalla idol by 38-year-old sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru, who comes from a family of five generations of sculptors. The sculptor spent nearly six months crafting the Ram Lalla idol.

(With inputs from agencies)