In anticipation of the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the steel city of Rourkela in Odisha is gearing up for a distinctive celebration. As part of the festivities, artisans in the city are crafting a colossal earthen lamp, set to be the largest ever made in Odisha, measuring 12 feet in width and 5.5 feet in height. This impressive diya, with a remarkable capacity to hold 6500 liters of ghee, will be illuminated on the auspicious day to mark the ‘pran pratistha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. The Smile Forever Foundation, an organization dedicated to various initiatives, is spearheading the effort to create this monumental lamp. The skilled team of artisans in Bandhamunda, Rourkela, has been diligently working on the project for the past month, and the lamp is expected to be completed in approximately three days.
Expressing enthusiasm about the project, artist Babai Pal shared that his team was elated to receive the order for crafting the diya for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. Having experience in creating idols from mud and plaster of Paris, the artisans found it relatively straightforward to prepare the earthen lamp. Neetu Pandit, another skilled diya artisan, highlighted that they view the creation of this enormous lamp as a symbolic contribution to the grand event of the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, even though they are unable to physically participate. The planned lighting of the lamp at Hanuman Vatika in Rourkela on January 22 is set to symbolize the city’s joyous participation in this historic occasion.
In anticipation of the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the steel city of Rourkela in Odisha is gearing up for a distinctive celebration. As part of the festivities, artisans in the city are crafting a colossal earthen lamp, set to be the largest ever made in Odisha, measuring 12 feet in width and 5.5 feet in height. This impressive diya, with a remarkable capacity to hold 6500 liters of ghee, will be illuminated on the auspicious day to mark the ‘pran pratistha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. The Smile Forever Foundation, an organization dedicated to various initiatives, is spearheading the effort to create this monumental lamp. The skilled team of artisans in Bandhamunda, Rourkela, has been diligently working on the project for the past month, and the lamp is expected to be completed in approximately three days.
Expressing enthusiasm about the project, artist Babai Pal shared that his team was elated to receive the order for crafting the diya for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. Having experience in creating idols from mud and plaster of Paris, the artisans found it relatively straightforward to prepare the earthen lamp. Neetu Pandit, another skilled diya artisan, highlighted that they view the creation of this enormous lamp as a symbolic contribution to the grand event of the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, even though they are unable to physically participate. The planned lighting of the lamp at Hanuman Vatika in Rourkela on January 22 is set to symbolize the city’s joyous participation in this historic occasion.
