Ram Mandir: 40kg silver slab to be placed during 'bhumi pujan'

Ayodhya: A silver slab, weighing about 40 kilogram, will be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the proposed grand Ram temple in Ayodhya during the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony, scheduled to be held in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5.

The three-day rituals will begin from August 3 and culminate on August 5.

According to spokesman of the temple trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, Mahant Kamal Nayan Das said the rituals will be conducted by priests from Varanasi who also supervised the shifting of the Ram Lalla idol to a new structure in March.

The Ramacharya puja will be conducted on August 4.

The foundation of the temple will be laid at 12.13 p.m., the auspicious time fixed by priests after detailed calculation of planetary configurations.

Triloki Nath Pandey, decree holder of Ram Janmabhoomi, said that the ceremony on August 5 is 'bhumi pujan' and not 'shilanyas' which was already performed in 1989 by current Trust member Kameshwar Chaupal during the tenure of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Anil Mishra, a member of Trust, said that a formal invite has been sent to the Prime Minister's office, but there is no official confirmation of his schedule yet though a tentative programme had been fixed.

Mishra also said that the proposed temple will also have a world class museum where people will be able to see the archaeological artefacts excavated from the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The artefacts played an important role in establishing the Hindu claim on the site.

Some of the artefacts are already on display at Ram Katha Sangrahalaya.

Officials of Archaeological Survey of India say there are over 400 centuries-old artefacts, presently housed inside a 25x50 square feet shed on the site. Also, there are scores of pottery and antiques in Manas Bhavan.