As Ayodhya gears up for 'Pran-Pratishtha' or the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla's idol on January 22, Steel City Rourkela does not want to miss out on the grand celebration. A huge diya will be lit on the day to mark the occasion.
As per reports, the artisans in Rourkela are making a diya which has a width of 12-feet and height of 5.5 feet. An organisation, Smile Forever Foundation has taken the initiative to make the diya. It will hold 6500 litres of ghee. It is claimed to be the largest diya ever made in Odisha.
The diya which is being made at Bandhamunda in Rourkela for the last one month will be finished in 2-3 days.
“We were very happy when the first order to make diya for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony came to us. We are idol experts and make idols from mud and plaster of paris from long time. So it was fairly easy for us to make Diyas. I am very excited for it,” said Diya worker Babai Pal.
Another diya artisan, Neetu Pandit said, “We all cannot go to Ayodhya to participate in the consecration ceremony. So we try to contribute our bit by making this huge diya and lighting it at the Hanuman Vatika on January 22.”
Speaking about the initiative, founder of Smile Foundation Santosh Biswal said, “January 22 is of great significance for us. God wished the largest diya in the world should be made in Rourkela. We have completed 80 percent of the work. We will make sure the diya is seen to everybody and every house in Rourkela city.”
The diya will be taken out for a ‘parikrama’ in the city before offering it to Lord Ram at the famous Hanuman Vatika at the city.
On the eve of Diwali 2023, the temple town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh set a new Guinness World Record when more than 22 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) were illuminated on 51 ghats during the Deepotsav programme.