Bhubaneswar: Even as the whole country seems to be getting ready for the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, another shrine dedicated to Lord Ram will be inaugurated in Odisha the same day.
Coinciding with the grand event in Ayodhya, a ceremony to mark the inauguration of a Ram Temple will be held at Fatehgarh village in Bhapur area of Nayagarh district on Monday.
The temple stands atop a 1800 feet high hill amid scenic surroundings. It has been built with donations from villagers and devotees from across the state at over Rs 10 crore. The temple has been constructed using the ‘Baulamala’ stone.
Sources said the construction of the temple with a height of 165 feet began in 2017. More than 150 workers were engaged in the construction of the temple.
According to locals, the idea of the Ram Temple in the area has historical significance. Lord Govardhan has been worshipped on this mountain for decades. Moreover, in 1912, during the Nabakalebar of Lord Jagannath, the wood for Lord Sudharshan was collected from Fatehgarh. To commemorate this, the villagers took an initiative and formed a committee – Shri Ram Seva Parishad for the construction of the temple.
Shankaracharya of Puri Govardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb and saints from different places have been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony. While the Shankaracharya is set to take part in the ‘pran pratistha,’ Puri Gajapati will be performing ‘purna ahuti’ during the ceremony.
Priests of different temples, along with those at Puri Jagannath temple have also been invited. Sources said 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman V K Pandian is also likely to attend the grand event.
The rituals for the consecration of the new temple began on Wednesday with Ankuropan and the Kalash Yatra was held on Thursday. Hundreds of women from Fategarh village fetched water from Mahanadi river for the consecration ceremony.
