LUCKNOW: The idol of Lord Ram will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Ayodhya on Jan 14, 2024, the Shree Ramjanmabhoomi Teerth Keshtra Trust said on Tuesday.
According to temple trust general secretary Champat Rai, the idols of Lord Ram and his brothers would be placed on Makar Sankranti in 2024.
Rai added that the under-construction ground floor of the three-storey temple would be completed by December 2023.
Rai was interacting with media persons after a meeting with the temple construction committee headed by retired IAS officer Nripendra Mishra in Ayodhya on Monday night.
Rai also said that the cost of temple construction has been revised to Rs 1,800 crore, from the earlier around Rs 400 crore.
“The revision was done after 18-month deliberations,” Rai said, adding that the cost could rise further.
Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India will soon float tenders to broaden the four-lane Lucknow-Gorakhpur Highway crossing Ayodhya.
The road approaching Ayodhya would be made six-lane to cater to the rush of devotees expected to throng the town once the temple is completed.