New Delhi: After the head priest of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya flagged a water leakage situation in the temple after the first round of showers this season, the management trust of the mandir has ruled out any flaws in the design or construction of the structure. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust which manages the temple’s construction, on June 26 said that not a single drop of water had dripped from the roof of the sanctum sanctorum, where the idol of Ram was kept, nor has any water entered the sanctum sanctorum from anywhere.
However, implicit in its long clarification were signs that the situation may have arisen due to the incomplete nature of the elaborate temple complex, which was opened on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid protests by some prominent Hindu seers and opposition leaders who argued it was not proper to consecrate a partially-built temple.
The controversy started after Acharya Saytendra Das, the chief priest of the temple, claimed that rain water that was leaking from the roof of the temple was collecting in its sanctum sanctorum and that there was no way to flush it out. “With the first rains, water seepage has started in the temple, where Ram Lalla is seated and the areas near it. Water has collected inside. It must be found out what is lacking in the construction in the part of the temple already built. What is causing the water seepage,” Das told news agency ANI.
Das also warned that if the situation prevails when monsoons arrive in full swing, prayers and rituals (puja-archana) would have to be stopped in the temple, which was built in traditional Nagara style at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore. He appealed to the authorities to take immediate remedial steps.
Following Das’s warning, Nripendra Misra, the chairperson of the Ram Mandir’s management trust, carried out a spot inspection. Misra said that there was no flaw in the construction of the temple and stressed that there was no water accumulation in its sanctum sanctorum. He explained that rainwater travelled from the pipes that were fixed to install electric wires.
Misra further pointed out that the second floor of the temple was still under construction and when its roof would be finally built, rainwater would stop entering the temple.
“The roof dome of the Gudh Mandap is not yet complete. That will be completed on the second floor. Only after that the water will stop,” Misra told journalists in Ayodhya.
The Gudh Mandap is located on the east in front of the sanctum sanctorum. After the completion of the roof of the second floor, a dome about 60 feet high would be added from the ground floor and this would close the roof of the mandap, said the Temple’s managing trust.
The managing body also said that devotees were being provided with darshan of the deity by temporarily covering the mandap on the first floor. The pillars on the second floor were still being constructed.
“Where devotees come for darshan, we made a layer of protection on the roof. This is a temporary construction from the point of view of safety. That will be removed when the second floor is complete. People have created a state of confusion about it,” said Misra.
The trust said that generally, in temples made of stone, the electrical conduit and junction box are installed on the stone roof and the conduit is brought down by making a hole in the roof, which provides lighting to the ceiling of the ground floor. These conduits and junction boxes are made water-tight and are hidden in the flooring above, added the trust.
“Electrical, water-proofing and flooring work is under progress on the first floor. Therefore, water entered the junction boxes and fell to the ground floor through the conduit. It made it appear as if the water was dripping from the ceiling. Whereas in reality the water was exiting on the ground floor through the conduit pipe,” said the temple’s managing body in a detailed note on X.
The temple’s managing trust further said that all of the above work will be completed soon. The flooring of the first floor will become completely water-tight and water will not enter from any junction, as a result of which water will not go to the lower floor through the conduit, it added.
The Mandir was constructed at the site where the Mughal-era Babri Masjid stood for many centuries, following the orders of the Supreme Court after a long-drawn legal battle that polarized the country. The mosque was demolished in daylight in front of thousands of policemen and journalists by Hindutva extremists assembled there on the call of Sangh parivar leaders on December 6, 1992.
When the temple was launched in January, the government said that its foundation had been constructed with a 14-metre-thick layer of roller compacted concrete (RCC) and for protection against ground moisture, a 21-foot-high plinth was constructed using granite. The temple complex has a sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, water supply for fire safety and an independent power station.
After the current controversy raising questions on its design, the temple’s managing trust said that “excellent arrangements” had been made for the drainage of rainwater in the temple and the parkota (rectangular compound wall) complex, which is still under construction.
“The entire complex has been managed for zero water discharge outside for rainwater. Recharge pits are being constructed in the complex to keep the rainwater inside,” said the trust.
There was also no deficiency in the quality of the construction work of the temple, the trust said, stressing that it was being supervised by engineers from two reputed companies, Larsen & Toubro and Tata and experienced architects and sculptors. Engineers from the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, also review the construction work of the temple twice a month, said Misra.
