This three-storey marvel not only reflects a rich heritage but also incorporates innovative techniques, ensuring its endurance for over a millennium

The recently constructed Ram Temple stands as a testament to architectural brilliance and engineering innovation, combining ancient design principles with modern techniques to create a structure of unparalleled significance. Architectural designer Chandrakant Sompura, who hails from a family with a rich heritage of designing temples spanning 15 generations, envisioned the temple as a magnificent creation, setting it apart not just in India but on a global scale.

The Ram Temple, built in the Nagara style, a North Indian temple design, spans a total area of 2.7 acres with a built-up area of approximately 57,000 square feet across three stories. Remarkably, no iron or steel has been used in the construction, as Sompura believes the lifespan of iron is only 80-90 years. The temple reaches a height of 161 feet, about 70% of the iconic Qutub Minar.

The construction of the temple embraces a unique approach, utilizing the best quality granite, sandstone, and marble. Dr. Pradeep Kumar Ramancharla, Director of the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), played an active role, emphasizing the absence of cement or lime mortar in the joints. Instead, a lock and key mechanism, utilizing trees and ridges, was employed throughout the entire structure. CBRI ensured that the structural design was earthquake-resistant and capable of withstanding earthquakes with a return period of 2,500 years.

Shri Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the temple construction committee, asserts that the temple was built to last for more than a thousand years, a claim supported by the collaboration with top Indian scientists, including those from ISRO. The involvement of ISRO scientists underscores the prestige and significance of the project.

One of the unique challenges faced during construction was the sandy and unstable ground beneath the temple, owing to the proximity of the Saryu River. However, scientists devised an ingenious solution. The entire temple area was excavated to a depth of 15 meters, where engineered soil was laid to a depth of 12-14 meters. No steel rebars were used, and 47-layered footings were compacted to resemble solid rock. A 1.5-meter thick M-35 grade metal-free concrete raft reinforced the foundation, topped with a platform of 6.3-meter thick solid granite stone from South India.

The visible part of the temple is constructed with 'Bansi Paharpur' stone, a pink sandstone quarried from Rajasthan. The CBRI reports a total of 160 pillars on the ground floor, 132 on the first floor, and 74 on the second floor, all made of sandstone and adorned with intricate carvings. The sanctum sanctorum is lined with white Makrana marble, the same material used in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

The construction process involved extensive analysis, including the examination of approximately 50 computer models. The chosen model, designed for both performance and architectural integrity while preserving the Nagara style, is a dry-jointed structure consisting only of interlocked stones without steel reinforcement. CBRI states that this design ensures a lifespan of 1,000 years.

Dr Sarada Srinivasan, an archaeologist specializing in heritage metals, highlights the traditional dry masonry used in earlier temple architecture, emphasizing the absence of mortar and iron. The Ram Temple incorporates these traditional elements while incorporating modern finite element analysis, sophisticated software tools, and 21st-century building codes, according to Dr. Ramancharla.

In conclusion, the Ram Temple is not just a heritage architecture but a modern marvel, blending the ancient principles of construction with cutting-edge engineering. The collaboration of skilled artisans, architects, and scientists ensures that this magnificent structure will stand the test of time, echoing the spirit of devotion and craftsmanship that has been a hallmark of Indian architectural heritage for centuries.

(The writer is a senior journalist; views are personal)