The countdown for the Pran Pratistha ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has started and the entire India is awaiting the 'event of the year' before the upcoming general elections. Celebrities from almost all fraternities along with Hindu saints have been invited to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration on January 22, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the Pran Patishtha ceremony on January 22. Apart from religious beliefs, the Ayodhya Ram Temple is grabbing headlines due to its grand architecture and design. Almost everyone in Ram Janmbhoomi Trust shares pictures of the much-awaited temple and it goes viral in no time. There are many videos available on social media that show that the Ram Mandir event is even attracting foreign tourists. The grand Ram Lalla's temple has impressed people all around the world. Now, the question who is Ayodhya Ram Mandir's chief architect? Below is what we know about Ayodhya Ram Mandir designer-
The answer is Chandrakant Sompura. Chandrakant Sompura has been involved in designing the Ram temple for the past 32 years. Chandrakant Sompura in an interview revealed that he was taken to the site of Ayodhya 32 years back by Ashok Singhal who told him to prepare a plan for the Ram Mandir construction.
As per reports, Chandrakant Sompura and his family have been involved in temple architecture for the past many years. In fact, Chandrakant Sompura is the 15th generation of the family hailing from Ahmedabad. While he has had no formal training in architecture, Sompura has been credited with constructing over 200 temples in India and abroad. Chandrakant's grandfather, PO Sompura, reportedly designed the revived Somnath Mandir in Gujarat in 1949 and some of Sompura's notable achievements include Akshardham in Gujarat, Mumbai's Swaminarayan Mandir, and the Birla Mandir in Kolkata.
Notably, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) contacted Chandrakant Sompura and his team through the Birla family. The design of the Ram temple was upgraded by Chandrakant and his team consisting of his sons Ashish and Nikhil, in Singhal's presence. Sompura has always touted the temple's unique design.
The Ram Mandir of Ayodhya is reportedly the most expensive Mandir that is designed by Sompura. The Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is responsible for the temple construction, initially estimated the cost at Rs. 1,800 crore (approximately $220 million). This figure includes the cost of construction, materials, machinery, labour, and other administrative expenses.
Coming back to the event, PM Narendra Modi will participate in the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla at the Ram Mandir on January 22. Many people from abroad have also received invitations to attend the ceremony. A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav.