GUWAHATI: Assam sculptor, Ranjit Mandal, has crafted scenes from the epic Ramayana in Ayodhya. He has sculpted idols to depict scenes from "Sita Haran" for the upcoming Bhoomi Pujan ceremony which will be held on August 5 in Ayodhya.
The statues he makes are perfect for a lifetime, he believes, as they are not made of 'conventional' Plaster of Paris or Cement. His statues have mortars and iron rods which make them strong.
Each scene has five to six characters and sometimes even more.
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There are about 40 scripts that depict significant events in the life of Lord Ram which Mandal has been carving out at Ayodhya for the last seven years.
Right from Putrasthi Yagna to Rajya Abhishek, Mandal has been assigned to create the Ram Katha Kunj at the Ram Mandir, which is exquisitely being created to be used for the Bhoomi Pujan of the temple on August 5.
Ranjit Mandal, who hails from a small village in Cachar, Assam called Ramkrishna Pally had been assigned the task to create the Ram Katha Kunj by the international working president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ashok Singhal, to showcase Lord Rama's life in a creative way.
Ranjit did his post-graduation in drawing from Awadh University and played with clay and earth throughout his childhood.
He has crafted statues for many places in Guwahati such as the Shankaracharya at Ved Vidyalaya and statue of Ved Vyas in the city's Rupnagar Area.
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In 1997, Singhal saw and appreciated Mandal's work displayed at the Gandhi Mela and invited him to Ayodhya.
By the year 2005, Mandal had already made 1,25,000 statues of Lord Rama which had been distributed throughout the country and 10 other countries across the world by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
In 2006 in Silchar, Singhal asked Mandal to get involved with the Ram Katha Kunj.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will offer prayers and lay the foundation stone at the temple in Ayodhya, where he will perform groundbreaking rituals for the Ram Temple.
Barricades have been placed to allow entry of only those who have received security coded invites. Around 175 guests only will be allowed to attend the ceremony.
(With inputs from national media)