Ram Temple construction panel working to finalise building plan: Trust member

The Ram Mandir construction committee is working on finalising the foundation laying plan for the upcoming temple in consultation with building experts, said a key member of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust. After the first day of a slated two-day meeting, chaired by Ram temple construction committee chief Nripendra Mishra, Trust member Anil Mishra told PTI that the committee along with the experts from Larsen & Toubro and Tata Consulting Engineers Limited reviewed the preparations for the construction of the shrine and also discussed its layout plan.

The committee is working on finalising the foundation laying plan for the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, said Dr Anil Mishra. As part of the meeting, the temple construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra also visited the site of the upcoming temple and inspected it along with the experts and the members of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust and the building experts from the two firms.

The Trust members who visited the site included its secretary Champat Rai and trustees Govind Dev Giri and Anil Mishra. Talking of the finding of sand a few feet below the surface at the construction site, Dr Mishra termed the discovery not surprising. "Experts have found sand below the ground but it has not come as any surprise," said Dr Mishra, adding the sandy soil or loose sand was expected as the Ayodhya is situated on the banks of a river.

Dismissing reports fearing that sandy soil found below the construction site may pose a hurdle to the project, Dr Mishra cited the examples of Taj Mahal, built on the Yamuna riverbank in Agra. “Take the example of Taj Mahal. It is standing without any damage to its structure on land which has loose sand under the ground,” he said.

"In today's meeting the construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra and other Trustees took stock of the situation from the experts involved in the construction," added Dr Mishra.

“The experts are working to ensure that the foundation of Ram temple must be strong enough to last for 1000 years,” he added. IIT-Madras is working on the soil testing of the foundation of Ram Mandir and the Trust has already started shifting carved stones from the Karsevakpuram workshop to the temple premises, he said.