The first consignment of teakwood logs procured from the thick forests of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, was dispatched to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh for use in the Ram temple, amid grand celebrations on the 16-km stretch between Ballarpur forest depot and Chandrapur.
Maharashtra Forest and Environment Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told The Hindu that the superior quality teakwood, which was being provided through the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited, would be sent to Ayodhya in five or six batches by May.
“Today, we have sent the first lot of wood. The estimated requirement is 1,855 cubic feet, and it can increase further depending on the work. We proposed to give it free of cost, but the temple management made it clear that they are not accepting anything for free from the government, either the Centre or States, so we are supplying the wood at a discount price,” he said.
The same wood, also known as Central province teakwood, is being used for the Central Vista Project and other government projects in Maharashtra, and across the country.
People are seen dancing to the high-decibel tunes flowing out of the large music systems in the procession. Hundreds of cultural artists from across the State marched in the procession. | Photo Credit: ABHINAY DESHPANDE
The environs of Chandrapur and Ballarpur towns and villages en route reverberated with chants of Jai Shri Ram and Bharat Mata ki jai , besides others, by thousands of people waving giant saffron flags in the scorching heat. They were sporting saffron caps, kurtas, and scarves, and many were dancing to the high-decibel tunes flowing out of the large music systems in the procession. Hundreds of cultural artists from across the State marched in the procession.
As it was the holy month of Ramzan, the Chandrapur District Police made massive security arrangements to prevent any untoward incidents, and also to ensure the free movement of the procession.
`Grandmother’s gift’
Three Ministers— Yogendra Upadhyay, Ravindra Jaiswal, and Arun Kumar Saxena— from Uttar Pradesh, several MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from Chandrapur and neighbouring districts participated in the event. The major attraction was the star cast of the epic television serial ‘Ramayana’ (1987)— Arun Govil (Lord Rama), Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala (Sita) and Sunil Lahiri (Lakshmana).
Mr. Mungantiwar, who hails from Chandrapur and had participated in the karseva during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement that led to the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, said that the teakwood would be used to make the main doors of the temple, the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum, inside doors, and other requirements for the temple complex.
“When we came to know that the temple committee was looking for teakwood, we sent a proposal, which was in turn, sent to the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun for a review. After conducting several tests, the institute came to the conclusion that Chandrapur’s teak is the most durable and suitable for the construction of the mega temple. There can be no termite attacks on this wood for over 1,000 years as the oil content is very high,” the Minister said.
Chandrapur and Ballarpur towns and villages witnessed grand celebrations with people waving saffron flags. | Photo Credit: ABHINAY DESHPANDE
While the sandstone used for the construction of the temple was sourced from Rajasthan, the shaligram stones expected to be used for carving out the idols of Lord Ram and Goddess Janaki were brought from Galeshwar Dham in Janakpur in Nepal. The wood is being sent from the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who had grown up listening to the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, he said.
“It is a matter of pride for the people of Maharashtra, and especially the Vidarbha region as Lord Rama’s grandmother, Indumati (king Dasharatha’s mother), was the princess of Vidarbha. This is like grandmother’s gift to Lord Ram,” Mr. Mungantiwar said.
According to Forest department officials, the Chandrapur wood is always in high demand in the domestic and international market due to its quality, and only the best logs are brought to the Ballarpur depot for grading (straightness, tracks, colour, size) and further processed in the sawmills. The event concluded with bhajans of Lord Rama by Bollywood playback singer Kailash Kher.
“There can be no termite attacks on this wood for over 1,000 years as the oil content is very high”Sudhir MungantiwarMaharashtra Forest and Environment Minister
