The grand Ram Mandir which is all set to start construction from the 5th of August at the Ram Janmbhoomi is set to have five-domed mandaps and one Shikhar. The length of the temple is supposed to be 161 feet.
The speculation is that the temple will take over three and a half years to be ready according to the chief architects. The plan as three storeys which are designed based on Vastushastra. The design of the temple has been in the works from the year 1990. The earlier version of the plan had two storeys, three mandaps, and a Shikhar. The height initially was 141 feet.
The chief architect Chandrakantbai Sompura’s son Ashish Sompura spoke to the media and said,
“The original design had three ‘mandaps’ – the ‘garbhgriha’ or the sanctum sanctorum, ‘kudu mandap’ and ‘nritya mandap’. But the new design has the addition of ‘rang mandap’ which will be towards the front of the temple and a ‘kirtan mandap’ and a ‘prathana mandap’ on both sides.”
Explaining further about the plan and how the old plan has evolved over the ages, he said,
“In the older times, ‘nritya’ and ‘rang mandaps’ were used for dance by ‘devdasis’. But now the same space would be used by people to have ‘darshan’ of Bhagwan Ram from three sides.”
Nagara Style Ram Mandir
The architect’s generation has been involved in designing temples. The grandfather of the chief architect of the temple Chandrakantbai Sompura, Prabhakarji Sompura had designed the Somnath temples. The chief architect who is 77 years old revealed that his grandfather was written several books on Vastu kalanidhi and they have been using the art in our designs. Ashish further said,
“The Nagara style Ram Mandir is designed keeping specifications of Shilpa Shastra in mind. All calculations are very particular. For example, no dimension can be bigger than the ‘garbhagriha’, what side should the ‘garbhagriha’ face, etc. It will take at least three-and-a-half-year for the construction to be completed. Fifty percent of work based on the original design – 106 columns, walls of the sanctum sanctorum, and marble ‘chaukath’ – had been done. But the design is bigger than this now.”
Source: Times of India
