Union minister inaugurates massive rangoli of Lord Ram in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Jan 22 (PTI) A massive rangoli of Lord Ram was inaugurated by Union Tribal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on the premises of Sri Laxmi Narayan Temple at Cable Town in Golmuri here on Monday, officials said. Independent MLA and former Jharkhand minister Saryu Roy was also present on the occasion.

The rangoli measuring 18,500 sqft was formally inaugurated today, coinciding with the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Roy said.

Artist Vivek Mishra took nearly two weeks to make the rangoli, officials said.

"Over three tons of colours were used to make 165-feet-long by 125-feet-wide rangoli," Roy added.

Earlier, Mishra had successfully made a 3,000 sqft rangoli of Lord Ram at Andhra Bhakt Sri Ram Mandiram in Bistupur recently.

As soon as Mishra expressed his willingness to make the gigantic rangoli of Lord Ram, an area on the temple premises was levelled, said Roy, who was also the convenor of Sri Laxmi Narayan Temple Renovation Committee.

The rangoli has surpassed the previous 14,000 sqft work-of-art set by Shikha Sharma of Indore, he said.

"We feel proud to inaugurate the massive rangoli of Lord Ram, coinciding with the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya," the former minister said.

Roy said a nine-foot-tall idol of Sri Laxmi Narayan was brought to the under-construction temple on Sunday and has been kept for installation later.

The construction of the temple's sanctum sanctorium will also begin from Monday and the idol is likely to be installed with all the rituals before Ramnavami, Roy said.

The function will be followed by bhajan and kirtan and lighting of 11,000 lamps later in the day, he added.