While a show of strength is on in Ayodhya by the VHP for the Ram Mandir , the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has cleared a 221-metre-tall statue of Lord Ram, to come up on the banks of the Saryu in the temple town.
While the government did not reveal the details of cost, funding, or exact location, it announced the expected size of the statue, which seems to outdo the 182-metre Sardar Patel statue in Gujarat.
The Lord Ram statue would consist of a 151-metre statue, a 20-metre umbrella overhead, and a 50-metre pedestal; the total being 221 metre, a government spokesperson said.
The pedestal would hold a “grand and ultra-modern museum” showcasing history of Ayodhya, legendary Ishvaku dynasty and Raja Manu, and the Ram Janmabhooomi.
After shortlisting five statues, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved one, made of bronze.
The Yogi Adityanath government had last year announced that it would construct a Ram statue in Ayodhya as part of the “Navya Ayodhya” scheme of the UP Tourism Department to develop the town as a tourist hub.
This is not the only Ram statue the BJP government is planning in UP. The government has also announced that it would build a statue of Lord Ram at Shringverpur, a site near Allahabad revered by Nishads. They are a riverine Most-Backward Caste.
Next to that Lord Ram statue would come up a statue of Nishadraj, the caste icon and boatman who, as per Hindu beliefs, helped Lord Ram along with his wife and brother cross the Ganga during exile. Mr. Adityanath had in September said ₹ 34 crore would be allocated for the project.
