Ayodhya Ram temple: What is the Shaligram stone, know its religious significance!

Two huge 60 million-year-old Shaligram stones found in Nepal's Kali Gandaki river will be used to make idols of Lord Shri Ram and Goddess Sita. The height of the idol has been chosen so that the sun's rays fall directly on Lord Rama's forehead on the day of Ram Navami.

The idol of young Lord Ram will be between 5 to 5.5 feet. These stones have been brought from Nepal for the construction of the Shaligram temple in Ayodhya. On January 26, 2023, Shila performed her Rudrabhishek at Galeshwar Mahadev Temple. On Monday, January 30, these stones were loaded onto the first two trucks headed for Ayodhya. 

On January 31, 2023, they will come from Nepal via Bihar and enter Uttar Pradesh via Gopalganj. The construction of the Ram temple is in full swing in Ayodhya. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the devotees regarding the idol of Lord Rama. In this grand Ayodhya temple, the idol of young Lord Ramlala will be carved out of Shaligram stone.

Experts estimate that the stone is split into two boulders, each weighing 127 quintals (1,27,000 kg). The ground floor of Ram Janmabhoomi will be ready by January 2024. According to experts, these holy stones have now been taken from Janakpur in Nepal. The Janakpur main temple served as the place of worship.

What is the Shaligram stone and what is its religious significance?

According to the scriptures, Shaligram has been considered the place of Lord Vishnu. Mata Tulsi and Lord Shaligram are also mentioned in mythological writings. Because of this, these boulders hold a great deal of importance and are considered exceptionally unique.

People claim that these boulders have religious significance as they are associated with Lord Vishnu. The most important feature of these boulders is that they can be found only in the Gandaki River, where they are found in the majority. The water breaks into small pieces after hitting the rock on the way to the Himalayas, which is also worshiped by the people of Nepal.

There are 33 different types of Shaligrams, and each stone of the Shaligram is believed to be associated with the 24 incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Shaligram stone is said to bring happiness, peace, and mutual love to the house where it is present. Apart from this, the grace of Goddess Lakshmi is present even today.

As per reports in Aaj Tak, apart from renowned painter Vasudev Kamath, Padmabhushan craftsman Ram Vanji Suthar has reportedly been entrusted with the task of making the idol of Lord Ram. The Statue of Unity was also built by Ram Suthar.