Ancient Himalayan rocks that are found in Nepal should be considered for the making of the idol of Lord Ram in the upcoming temple in Ayodhya, a group of eminent citizens from Nepal has suggested.
Former Deputy Prime Minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Bimlendra Nidhi, who represents this group, visited Ayodhya earlier this month and proposed that apart from the specific Himalayan rock for the idol, the people of Janakpur would also like to gift a metallic “Shiv Dhanush” that would be on display at the temple complex.
“I visited the Kali Gandaki river and did a survey of the types of ancient rocks that are found in the area and came to the conclusion there are indeed a wide variety of high-grade rocks that can be considered for the making of the idol of Lord Ram at Ayodhya,” Mr. Nidhi told The Hindu.
The banks of the Kali Gandaki, which is also known as the Narayani, is famous for being the only source in the world where the shaligram shilas are found. They are worshipped as aniconic representations of Lord Vishnu. Lord Ram is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Mr. Nidhi said, this spiritual connection between the Narayani and the Hindu community should be considered while making the idol of Lord Ram.
As per available information, the idol of Ram Lalla that is worshipped at present in Ayodhya will continue to be worshipped in the new temple but alongside the old deity, a larger idol is being considered as is often found in large Hindu temples where a larger idol is worshipped along with a smaller deity. Large idols are more suitable for main pilgrimage centres that attract a greater number of pilgrims who have to worship from a distance.
While the shaligram shilas which are basically small, prehistoric marine fossils cannot be used for the making of the main idol, Mr. Nidhi said the region offers many ancient rocks that can be used for the making of the idol. There is a tradition of offering Himalayan ingredients from Nepal in Hindu temples. For example, the Jagannath temple of Puri is known to source kasturi, the fragrant extract of musk deer, from Nepal.
During his visit to India, Mr. Nidhi met several seers and monks in Ayodhya who are closely involved in the construction activities of the Ram temple, and presented his ideas.
“During my interaction with members of the temple construction committee in Ayodhya, we agreed in principle that a bow made of eight metals would also be gifted by the people of Janakpur for the Ram temple, where it should be placed in a special viewing gallery so that the pilgrims can also appreciate the tale of the bow that played an important role in uniting Lord Ram with Sita of Janakpur,” Mr. Nidhi said, adding that the story of the bow is as old as the story of Ram and Sita as it first found mention in Valmiki’s Ramayana.
Mr. Nidhi cited the Valmiki Ramayana, which mentions the important role that the powerful bow plays in uniting Ram and Sita, and argued that a metal bow is therefore an ideal gift for the Ram temple from the people of Janakpur, which is believed to have been the place where Sita was born.
Nepal’s 2015 Constitution did not declare any religious identity of the country though it urges the Government of Nepal to protect people’s traditional way of life.
Since 2014, Nepal’s main pilgrimage sites, such as the Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu, have been connected to religious tourism from India, and Mr. Nidhi said that a similar infrastructure should be created so that pilgrims could visit both Ayodhya in India and Janakpur in Nepal as both are important for the Ramayana tourism circuit that will emerge once the temple in Ayodhya is completed.
