Ayodhya: A new 51-inch-tall stone idol of Hindu god Ram depicting him as a five-year-old child was selected to be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the trust managing the shrine announced on Monday, detailing the schedule of the January 22 ceremony that will shape national politics and be a major issue in this year’s general elections.

The idol, sculpted by Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj, weighs between 150kg and 200kg and depicts the deity in a standing posture, said the temple trust’s general secretary Champat Rai.

“The idol by Arun Yogiraj has been finalised and will be placed inside the temple on January 18 on the third day of the consecration rituals that will start from January 16,” said Rai.

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The 38-year-old Yogiraj, who began sculpting at the age of 11 influenced by his father, also built the black granite sculpture of Subhas Chandra Bose installed at Delhi’s India Gate in 2022, a 12-feet Adi Shankaracharya idol in Kedarnath placed in 2021, and India’s largest monolithic sculpture of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhamsa in Mysuru, placed in 2017.

He was one of three sculptors approached by the temple trust. “We were given stones from Nepal, Karkala in Uttara Kannada district, HD Kote in Mysuru district, and Makrana in Rajasthan. I selected the Krishna Shila stone from HD Kote,” Yogiraj said.

Rai said the current idol of Ram Lalla, which is worshipped at the makeshift temple, will also be kept in the sanctum sanctorum.

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The selection of the idol of the child god — Hindus believe Lord Ram was born at the site — marks a significant step towards the opening of the Ram Temple on January 22 in a ceremony to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Building the temple in Ayodhya has been part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto for decades and is likely to be a major issue for the party in general elections later this year.

“As per the time decided by Kashi-based eminent priest Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) on January 22 will begin at 12.20pm and should be over by 1pm. The ‘karmakand vidhi (rituals)’ would be undertaken on the guidance of Laxmikant Shastri, also from Kashi,” said Rai.

“Thereafter, PM Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and chief minister Yogi Adityanath will express their manobhav (feelings). I am using this word deliberately as using bhashan (speech) doesn’t seem apt for such a momentous occasion. This process should take anywhere between 65 and 75 minutes,” Rai said.

Nritya Gopal Das, who heads the Ram Janmabhoomi Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, will give his blessings on the occasion. Roughly 8,000 guests have been invited for the event.

“After the consecration ceremony, or post 2.30pm, the timing could vary by up to five minutes, all the invited guests will enter the temple for darshan of the Ram Lalla. The entry will be done by 10.30am, much before the arrival of PM Modi and there is a possibility that the departure could be delayed by up to 5pm or may be 6pm or 7pm. So, keeping in view the fact that the stay could be delayed for long, arrangements for food and refreshments would be made,” Rai said.

At least 121 priests are associated with the consecration rituals that begin from Tuesday.

“Holy water from across the country, including from Mansarovar, Amarnath, Gangotri, Haridwar, Sangam banks, Narmada, Godavari, Nashik, and Gokarna will be brought,” Rai said.

The trust might also close the makeshifttemple on January 20 and 21, though all religious activities performed for the deity would continue. “As of now, 25,000 to 30,000 pilgrims and devotees are visiting the temple every day,” Rai said.

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The idol — for which the consecration ceremony will be done — will also be part of a ritual called “adhivas”, during which the “jal niwas”, “fal niwas”, “anna niwas”, “aushadi niwas” and “ghee niwas” will be done. These refer to rituals where the idol will be kept in water, among fruits, grain, herbs and ghee.

The Ram temple complex, built in the traditional Nagara style, will be 380 feet long (east-west direction), 250 feet wide and 161 feet tall, the trust had announced earlier. Each floor of the temple will be 20 feet high and have a total of 392 pillars and 44 gates.