Inside Ayodhya's Ram Temple 'Workshop': 'First Floor Ready' Amid diminishing Funds
Ayodhya, Nov 12: The pace of work at a Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas-run workshop in Ayodhya's Karsevak Puram has turned sluggish due to lack of funds and dwindling number of artisans and craftsmen, according to the in-charge of the workshop that has been running since 1990 to build a 'temple'.
At the Karsevakpuram's sprawling Karyashala, which also houses a wooden model of a 'proposed Ram Temple' in a glass encasement, many devotees stream in from various parts of India, some out of curiosity, other led by local tour guides.
Annu Bhai Sompura, in-charge of the workshop, points out to rows and rows of huge, ornately carved stones stacked up on the ground in the open in its premises, which he said are "ready-to-move blocks that can be easily assembled".
"Fifty per cent of carving work of stones has been completed, which means the first floor is ready. We are hopeful of getting a favourable judgement from the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya title suit, and once we get the green signal, the work on laying foundation would begin," he told PTI.
As per the plan, the temple, once built, will be 268 ft long, 140 ft wide and 128 ft high, from the ground to the apex point (shikhar) and a total of 212 pillars will be used, 78 years 0ld Sompura, now 78 years old, said.
"Each floor would have 106 pillars, and each pillar would have 16 statues. So, artisans have completed carving work on these," he said.
The work for prefabrication of a temple is currently being funded through "voluntary donations" from devotees, Sompura said, adding, "funds are not coming much now, as they were earlier."
Asked, how many artisans are currently working at Karsewakpuram's Karyashala, he said, "About two craftsmen and a couple of labourers."
"Their numbers have come down, some of them have left for other work. They used to be about 150 in 1990," the in-charge said.
The artisans works from 7 am till 5 pm, and halt work only on days of Amavasya (New Moon Day). The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas is supported by right-wing organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
VHP's Uttar Pradesh spokesperson Sharad Sharma said, "We seek to build the temple at the earliest within the framework of the Constitution or through legislation". He claimed, "It was a long-standing issue which has nothing to do with elections."
Chorus has grown within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh Parivar, seeking construction of a temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi through an ordinance.
Sompura, an Ahmedabad native, says, once the foundation stone is laid, it will take about "four-five years to complete the temple". "The other floor can be added on the site, we are anxiously waiting for the go-ahead," he said.
The stones are carefully numbered and can be joined like a "jigsaw puzzle" using white cement when needed, Sharma said.
At the workshop, some of the pink sandstones which were carved intricately in the early 90s have darkened over the decades but these will be cleaned up once the time comes for their use, Sompura said, as he points towards lintels, and columns and ceiling blocks, bearing beautiful floral motifs.
A row of 'vedis' were created at one end of the workshop premises, using bricks bearing letters of 'Shri Ram' chants while carved white Makrana marble blocks lay inside an enclosure, gathering dust.
"These white marbles would be used in the doorway frames, and were brought from our other workshop camp which is closed now. Stones were brought from Bansi Paharpur in Rajasthan too, near Agra, and there was a facility for carving at Pindwara too, which has been closed," Sompura said.
The workshop which operates from 7 am to 5 pm, has turned into a museum of sorts for devotees and inquisitive people alike, and over 1,000 people visit the 'karyashala' every day, he said, adding, many make it their next stop after visiting the heavily-fortified Ram Janmabhoomi site.
Locals say a recent art project has turned the dull, drab walls of its compound into a lively canvas, as Ramayan-themed paintings welcome visitors from outside while inside chants of 'Sita Ram' can be heard.
Hanuman Yadav, a VHP worker and caretaker and guardian of the workshop, who is in his 60s, says the chants have been going without a break since 1990.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
