UP: Aligarh artisan makes 400 kg lock for Ram Mandir
Aligarh (UP) (PTI): An elderly artisan from Aligarh, famous for its handmade locks, has made a 400 kg lock for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya which is expected to open for devotees in January next year.
An ardent devotee of Lord Ram, Satya Prakash Sharma toiled for months to prepare the "world's largest handmade lock" which he plans to gift to the Ram temple authorities later this year.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust officials said they are receiving offerings from scores of devotees and they will have to see where the lock can be used.
Sharma said his family has been engaged in making handmade locks for more than a century while he has been hammering, grinding, and shining locks in Aligarh, also known as 'taala nagri' or the land of locks, for over 45 years.
He made the giant lock, which is 10 feet high, 4.5 feet wide, and 9.5 inches thick with a four feet key, keeping the Ram Temple in mind, Sharma said.
The lock was displayed at the annual Aligarh exhibition earlier this year and Sharma, who is busy making minor modifications and adding embellishments to his creation, said he wants it to be perfect.
It was a "labour of love" for me while my wife, Rukmani, too helped me in this arduous venture, Sharma said.
"Earlier we had made a 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide lock but some people suggested making a bigger lock so we started working on it," Rukmani said, adding that final touches are being given to the lock.
According to Sharma, it cost him about Rs 2 lakh to make the lock and he has willingly poured his life's savings in turning his dream project into a reality.
"As I've been in the lock-making business for decades, I thought of making a giant lock for the temple as our city is known for locks and no one has done anything like this before," he said.
Meanwhile, the temple trust will hold the consecration ceremony at Ram Mandir on January 21, 22, and 23 next year for which an invitation will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ram Mandir Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said on Friday.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
