Ram Mandir: Both the Devshilas reached Gorakhpur before Ayodhya

The 60 million year old Shaligram stone obtained from Pal’s Kali Gandaki river reached Gorakhpur on Wednesday. Before reaching Ayodhya, two Devshilas of Shaligram stone will be given a grand welcome in Gorakhpur. The Devshila chariot will have night rest in Gorakhnath temple itself. On the morning of January 1, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will send the chariot to Ayodhya through law and order. According to media reports, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai said that the boulders having spiritual significance and believed to be centuries old will reach Ram Katha Kunj, where they will be opened for worship by the devotees.

He also said that there is a waterfall named Kali Gandaki in Nepal. It originates from Damodar Kund and Ganeshwar Dham is about 85 km north of Gandaki. Both these stones have been brought from there. This place is situated at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level. People say that it is crores of years old. The weight of both the stones is about 30 tons. He said that after worshiping by the devotees in Gorakhpur, both the boulders would be handed over to the Ayodhya temple on February 2. Interested devotees can worship the boulders by reaching Ramsevak Puram by 10.30 pm.

According to Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the place where the stones will be kept is being cleaned. He further said that he is not aware of the historical and cultural significance of the boulders. He has heard that the stone of Gandaki is called Shaligram, which is believed to be a form of Lord Vishnu. When Kali Gandaki comes to Bihar from Nepal, she is called Narayani.

It is worth mentioning that around 50% construction work of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya has been completed and it will be opened to devotees in January 2024 after the installation of idols of the deity. The main temple is being constructed on a space of 350 feet by 250 feet area and it will have 12 gates made up of teak wood. A total of 166 pillars will be installed on the ground floor, 144 on the first floor and 82 pillars on the second floor of the temple.