Ram Temple Likely To Open To Devotees By 2023-End

The Ram temple at Ayodhya is expected to open to devotees by the end of 2023 when the five mandaps (halls) on the ground will be ready along with the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) where the idol of Lord Ram as a child will be placed.

New Delhi: The entire complex, which in totality will occupy 110 acres and includes the 66 acres granted by the Supreme Court, is likely to be ready sometime in 2025. The complex will include a museum explaining manuscripts and legal history of the temple as court disputes date back to the British administration. The final cost of the temple is expected to be in the region of Rs 900-1,000 crore and is likely to open to the public a few months ahead of the schedule of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

In a background briefing, sources said the year since the foundation stone ceremony on August 5, 2020, has been spent in sorting out key issues of foundation materials and readying the site for construction. “It may seem that a year has gone by and there is no construction overground. But it was found that debris below the site was as deep as 12 metres,” said the source.