Jump to content

Balak Ram (idol)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Balak Ram)

Bālakarāma
An image of an idol resembling a 5-year-old child Rama, wearing a crown, dressed as a prince, and adorned with ornaments. The idol is sculpted from a black granite stone known locally as Krishna Sila and is 51 inches tall. The deity holds a bow and an arrow as weapons.
The central image of the deity at the Ram Mandir located at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya
Other namesRāma Lallā Virājamāna
Devanagariबालकराम
Sanskrit transliterationBālakarāma
AffiliationForm of Vishnu/Rama
AbodeAyodhya
WeaponBow and arrow[a]

Balak Ram[3] (Sanskrit: बालकराम, lit. 'child Rama', IAST: Bālakarāma), also known as Ram Lalla, is the primary murti (idol) of the Ram Mandir, a prominent Hindu temple located at Ram Janmabhoomi, the presumed birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama in Ayodhya, India.[4][5] Balak Rama is housed in the sacred sanctum sanctorum (garbha gṛha) of the Ram Mandir, a traditional Nagara style temple.[6][7] The murti (idol) was consecrated in an elaborate Prana pratishtha ceremony on January 22, 2024.[8][9]

Rama is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and is traditionally considered by Hindus as the seventh avatar, or incarnation, of Vishnu. Before the Ram Mandir's inauguration, the deity was referred to by the previous name of Rām Lallā Virājamān, whose idol was first placed in the complex in 1949. The Ram Mandir location and the building of the mandir is controversial due to the demolition of a mosque formerly located at the place, and is an important subject of political debate in India.[10]

Balak Ram idol represents a five-year-old form of Lord Ram and was prepared by sculptor Arun Yogiraj adhering to the Shilpa Shashtra, a sacred scripture of the sculpting world.[6] On April 17, 2024, the first Ram Navami (Ram's birth festival) after the consecration of Ayodhya's Ram Temple with Balak Ram murti was celebrated by thousands of devotees across India.[11] On this occasion, the forehead of the Ram Lalla idol was anointed with a ray of sunlight, known as Sūrya Tilaka.[12]

Historical background

[edit]
See also: Ram Janmabhoomi

According to the Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhya.[13][14] The Masjid-i-Janmasthan (mosque of birthplace) was built by Babur at the site, allegedly destroying a Hindu temple commemorating Ram's birthplace.[15] Historical accounts by some European travellers who visited Ayodhya during the early modern period report that the Hindus believed the mosque and its immediate surroundings to be the exact birthplace of Rama.[16][17][18]

In 1949, the idols of "Ram Lalla" were placed in the disputed mosque, with some locals claiming that they had miraculously appeared there.[19] Subsequently, in 1950, the state administration took control of the structure and allowed Hindus to perform worship at the site.[20] Further, in the 1980s, Hindu nationalist groups and political parties launched a campaign to construct the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir ("Rama birthplace temple") at the site.[21] On 6 December 1992, a Hindu nationalist mob destroyed the mosque.[22]

As the dispute continued in courts, a survey was conducted by ASI in 2003 on the 2.77-acre disputed land as ordered by the Allahabad High Court. According to BR Mani, who led this survey, there was evidence that a temple of Nagara style of North India existed at the place before the construction of the mosque.[23] In 2019, the contentious Ayodhya dispute was settled by the Supreme Court of India, which gave the disputed site to Hindus for a temple, and allotted a separate land to the Muslims for a mosque.[24] After the Ayodhya verdict, the construction of the Ram Mandir temple and the choice of the deity of Rama was supervised by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, a trust that was set up by the Indian government in 2020.[25]

Naming

[edit]

The deity was originally referred to as Rām Lallā Virājamān until the construction of the Ram Mandir. In the Kavitāvali, Tulsidas uses the word Rām Lallā.[26] Lāla or Lallā is an affectionate term for children in Braj Bhasha, the language of Tulsidas.[27][28] The trust says the deity of the newly constructed Ram Mandir shall be called Bālak Rām as the name was used by Tulsidas in the Rāmacaritamānasa.[3]

Attributes of the murti (idol)

[edit]

The Balak Ram murti (lit. 'idol') represents Rama in the form of a small child. Three Indian sculptors, namely, Ganesh Bhatt, Satyanarayan Pandey, and Arun Yogiraj, were assigned the task of making the idol of the deity by the trust.[29] As per the trust, the characteristics of the deity were supposed to be a 5-year-old Bālaka (lit. 'child') with Mandasmita Vadana (lit. 'cheerful-faced') possessing both Divya (lit. 'divine') and Rājakumāra (lit. 'princely') looks.[30] The murti sculpted by Yogiraj was chosen as the presiding deity.[31][32] The other two are to be placed within the temple as minor deities.[33] Yogiraj used a three billion-year-old stone that was found at Gujjegowdanapura village in Mysore, Karnataka and sculpted it by adhering strictly to the guidelines of the Shilpa Shastras.[30][3] The Trust informed that the black-stone is water resistant and non-reacting to the acidic nature of milk when Abhiṣeka (i.e. ritualistic holy bath) is done.[34][35] In the idol, the deity of Balak Ram is in the Sthānaka Bhangima (i.e. standing pose) on Viśvapadmāsana (i.e. a double row lotus seat).[36][b] On both sides of the main idol, Hindu Gods and symbols are carved on the Śilātoraṇa (i.e. stone arch). They are 10 avatars of Vishnu, Hanuman, Garuda, Swastik, Om, Śankha, Sudarśana cakra, Kaumodaki Gada, Padma, Brahma, Shiva and Surya.[37][38][34] Sage Vedavyasa extolls Rama with the epithet of Mahādhanuḥ (lit. 'the one who wields a great bow') and his bow was said to be dhanuḥ śreṣṭha (lit. 'the best bow') in the Ramopakhyana of Mahabharata.[c] However, in sharp contrast to other idols sculpted in South India, the Balak Ram idol doesn't have any carved weapons. Instead, a golden bow and arrow were fitted to their deity. The bow has been crafted carefully by artisans in Chennai as per the description of Rama's bow kodaṇḍa in the Ramayana.[40]

After consecration, the Hindus refer to the idol in the sanctum sanctorum as mūlavirāṭ mūrti or acala mūrti, while any replica of it used in festivals is called as utsava mūrti (lit. idol for festivals).[41] The trust has clarified that the 9-inch high Ramlalla Virajman idol which was placed in the mosque in 1949 will be henceforth used as the utsava mūrti.[42]

Consecration

[edit]
Main article: Consecration of the Ram Mandir
View of the Ram Mandir on Consecration day, Jan 2024

The prana pratishtha (i.e. consecration ceremony) of the deity in the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Ram Mandir occurred on 22 January 2024.[43] The consecration ceremony included recitation of sacred hymns and mantras to invite the deity into the idol, which was henceforth considered as the resident deity Balak Ram.[44]

Adornments

[edit]
Balak Ram adornments after pran pratishta- Jan 2024

Since antiquity, it has been a custom to offer and adorn Hindu deities with precious metals and valuable stones.[45] The Balak Ram murti was adorned with 15 kilograms (33 lb) of gold and no less than 18,000 precious stones such as diamonds, Zambian emeralds, and rubies.[46][d] Various artisans who crafted the ornaments for the deity have referred to Hindu scriptures about Rama such as Valmiki Ramayana, Adhyatma Ramayana, Alavandar Stotra and Ramacharitamanasa.[47]

Service to deity

[edit]

Hindu deities are offered services to deity such as Ārati and Prasad.[49] From epigraphic records about Hindu temples we get to know that the services offered to deity are also referred as Aṅga Raṅgabhoga (lit. 'corporeal and theatrical offering').[50] Per Hindu tradition, Aṅgabhoga consists of services to the body of the deity such as abhiṣeka (lit. 'ritualistic holy bath'), gandha (lit. 'perfume'), vastra (lit. 'dressing'), ābharaṇa (lit. 'adornaments'), puṣpa (lit. 'flowers'). Likewise, Raṅgabhoga include music (either vocal or instrumental) and dance performed in front of the deity. The trust has informed that there will be six Āratis offered to the Balak Ram.[51] They are

  • Maṅgala Ārati (Sanskrit: मङ्गल आरती) is offered to awaken the deity in the morning
  • Śṛṅgāra Ārati (Sanskrit: शृङ्गार आरती) is offered after fully decorating the deity
  • Rājabhoga Ārati (Sanskrit: राजभोग आरती) is offered as mid-day royal meals and prepared for a siesta
  • Utthāpan Ārati (Sanskrit: उत्थापन आरती) is offered to awaken deity from siesta
  • Sandhyā Ārati (Sanskrit: सन्ध्या आरती) is offered performed during twilight
  • Śayana Ārati (Sanskrit: शयन आरती) is offered to put the deity to sleep

Every day, the deity is venerated with an aṣtayāma seva (A service for every yāmaḥ; three hours).[e][53] To offer Raṅgabhoga services, the temple has five halls, namely Raṅgamaṇḍapa, Sabhāmaṇḍapa (transl. Court hall), Nṛtyamaṇḍapa (transl. Hall of dance), Prārthanāmaṇḍapa (transl. Hall of prayer), and Kīrtanāmaṇḍapa (transl. Kirtan hall).[54]

Dressing

[edit]

In Hindu temples, dressing the holy deity is considered as a form of devotional service known as Vastrālaṅkaraṇa Seva (lit. 'Dress decoration service').[60] The deity is dressed on Sunday with pink coloured clothes, on Monday with white, on Tuesday with red, on Wednesday with green, on Thursday with yellow, on Friday with cream, and on Saturday with blue.[51] On the day of consecration, the deity was dressed in a yellow dhoti and a red angavastra. The deity will be dressed in yellow on special occasions.[61]

Temple architecture

[edit]

Ram Mandir was built in the Maru-Gurjara school (also known as Solanki), which is a sub-style of Nagara architecture of Indian temples that exist in Northern, Eastern, and Western India.[4] It is still under construction and will be the third largest upon completion.[62] The Angkor Wat in Cambodia and BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Jersey are the largest Hindu temples in the world. As per the modified design, it shall have three floors with five domes, and the whole complex spans around 120 acres (49 ha). The Śikhara (trans. main dome) shall be 161 feet (49 m) high.[54] The architect of the Ram Mandir is Chandrakant Sompura, whose father was Prabhakar Sompura, the Somnath temple's architect.[63]

Following the traditional Nagara style temple architecture, the Balak Rama murti (idol) is housed in centrally located sacred sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha) of the Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya.[6]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The name of Rama's bow is Kodanḍa and his arrow is the Rāmabāṇa that is supposed to be infallible upon release.[1][2]
  2. ^ The deity of Vishnu in Hindu iconography can be of three different postures, namely, Sthānaka (i.e. standing), Āsana (i.e. seated) and Śayana (i.e. reclining/sleeping).
  3. ^ kṛtacihnaṁ tu sugrīvaṁ rāmo dṛṣṭva mahādhanuḥ vicakarṣa dhanuḥ śreṣṭhaṁ vālimuddiśya lakṣyavat (Mahabharata 3.264.35)[39]
  4. ^ The trust detailed the ornaments that adorned the deity on the day of consecration, consisting of the Ūrdhva Puṇḍra Tilaka (i.e. a Vaishnava forehead mark), a Makuṭa (i.e. a Hindu royal crown), two Kunḍalas (i.e. earrings), a Kardhani (i.e. a gem-studded girdle), a Kaṇṭhamālā to adorn the neck, a Kaustubha necklace, a Padikā (i.e. a five stranded necklace), a Vijayamālā (i.e. a garland necklace worn by Vishnu), two Bhujabandhas (i.e. two royal armlets), two jewel-studded Kaṅkaṇas (i.e. bangles) for hands, a pair of Painjaniya (i.e. anklets), and Mudrikā (rings).[47] The deity was equipped with Dhanurbāṇa (i.e. a bow and arrow); both made of gold.[48]
  5. ^ Yām is a unit of time used in India until the modern era. It is equal to 3 hours.[52]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ M.K.V. Narayan (2007). Flipside of Hindu Symbolism. Fultus Corporation. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-59682-117-0.
  2. ^ "Ramabana, Rāmabāṇa: 7 definitions". Wisdom Library. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c HT Newsdesk, ed. (23 January 2024). "Ayodhya mandir's new Ram Lalla idol will now be called by this name". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b Wattas, Rajnish (23 January 2024). "Ram Mandir and Hindu temple architecture". Tribune India. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  5. ^ "What Happens To Old Ram Idol Which "Appeared" Inside Babri Masjid In 1949". NDTV.com. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Ram Lalla gave me the order, I just followed it' Arun Yogiraj on making the idol". India Today. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Why is Ayodhya Ram Mandir built in Nagara style of architecture". Times of India. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  8. ^ "India's Modi leads consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya". Reuters. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the consecration on Monday of a grand temple to the Hindu god Lord Ram on a site believed to be his birthplace
  9. ^ "Explained: From 1528 To 2024, A 500-Year Timeline Of Ayodhya Ram Temple". NDTV.com. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  10. ^ Controversial:
  11. ^ "Ayodhya Temple On Ram Navami, 'Surya Tilak' shines on Ram Lalla". Indian Express. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  12. ^ "The Science Behind 'Surya Tilak' Ceremony At Ayodhya's Ram Temple". NDTV. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  13. ^ The Ramayana of Valmiki. Translated by Shastri, Hari Prasad. London: Shanti Sadan. 1952. p. 42.
  14. ^ "Hindus' faith in Lord Ram's birthplace based on 'Valmiki Ramayana', 'Skanda Purana': SC". Business Standard. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  15. ^ Gilly, Thomas Albert; Sergevnin, Vladimir, eds. (2009). The Ethics of Terrorism. Charles C. Thomas. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-398-07867-6.
  16. ^ Jain, Meenakshi (2013). Rama and Ayodhya. New Delhi: Aryan Books. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-81-7305-451-8.
  17. ^ Kunal, Kishore (2016). Ayodhya Revisited. Prabhat Prakashan. p. xv. ISBN 978-81-8430-357-5.
  18. ^ Layton, Robert; Julian, Thomas (2003). Destruction and Conservation of Cultural Property. Routledge. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-134-60498-2.
  19. ^ Godbole, M. (1996). Unfinished Innings: Recollections and Reflections of a Civil Servant. Orient Longman. pp. 332–333. ISBN 978-81-250-0883-5. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  20. ^ Chatterji, Roma (2014). Wording the World: Veena Das and Scenes of Inheritance. Forms of Living. Fordham University Press. p. 408. ISBN 978-0-8232-6187-1. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  21. ^ "What If Rajiv Hadn't Unlocked Babri Masjid?". Outlook. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  22. ^ "Ayodhya dispute: The complex legal history of India's holy site". BBC News. 16 October 2019. Archived from the original on 17 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Was a temple razed in Ayodhya? What the stones say". India Today.
  24. ^ "Timeline: Ayodhya holy site crisis". BBC News. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Explained: What is the Trust set up to build Ram Temple in Ayodhya?". The Indian Express. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  26. ^ Raghuvanshi, Umesh (10 November 2019). "Making Ram Lalla a litigant helped in Ayodhya case: Expert". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Lalla, Lallā: 12 definitions". Wisdom Library. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  28. ^ Tiwari, Ram Kumar, ed. (2009). Psychological Perspectives on Social Issues and Human Development. Concept Publishing Company. p. 63. ISBN 978-81-8069-612-1.
  29. ^ Express News Service, ed. (23 January 2024). "Ayodhya mandir's new Ram Lalla idol will now be called by this name". New Indian Express. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  30. ^ a b Shanjay Sharma, ed. (25 January 2024). "'Ram Lalla had changed,' sculptor Arun Yogiraj thought to himself as he saw idol". India Today. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  31. ^ Shankar B, ed. (16 January 2024). "Sculptor's family in Mysuru ecstatic as idol chiseled by him chosen for Ayodhya temple". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  32. ^ HT Newsdesk, ed. (2 January 2024). "Who is Arun Yogiraj, the sculptor whose Ram Lalla idol selected for the grand temple in Ayodhya?". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  33. ^ Livemint, ed. (24 January 2024). "Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Two more Ram Lalla idols to be placed in temple complex soon". Mint. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  34. ^ a b Sharma, Heena (7 January 2024). "Ram Lalla's standing Idol in dark stone to grace Ayodhya temple: Trust's general secy". WION. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  35. ^ Dutta, Shrishti B. (22 January 2024). "Ayodhya Temple: Why Is Rama Lalla Idol Black?". India Times. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  36. ^ Ram Narayana, ed. (22 January 2024). "ఇంద్రలోకమా …!అన్నట్లుగా అయోధ్యాపురి". Drukpadam (in Telugu). Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  37. ^ Sharma, Aman (20 January 2024). "From Vishnu Avatars to the Swastik, Ram Lalla Idol Depicts All Significant Sanatan Dharma Symbols". News 18. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  38. ^ Gupta, Adarsh Kumar (22 January 2024). "Ram Lalla idol depicts 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, major Hindu symbols. Check details". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  39. ^ Peter Scharf (1998). Ramopakhyana - The Story of Rama in the Mahabharata. Taylor & Francis. p. 370. ISBN 0-7007-1390-5.
  40. ^ PTI, ed. (12 January 2024). "Lord Ram to be presented with 2.5 kg bow ahead of consecration ceremony in Ayodhya". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  41. ^ K. Seshadri (1998). Srivaishnavism and social change. K.P. Bagchi & Company. p. 50. ISBN 978-81-7074-198-5.
  42. ^ Maulshree Seth, ed. (3 January 2024). "'Ram Lalla Virajman' that fought temple suit for decades to be placed as 'festival idol'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  43. ^ Livemint (20 January 2024). "Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Date, aarti timings, darshan, and other details here". mint. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  44. ^ "'Dream, Luckiest Person': Ram Lalla Sculptor Arun Yogiraj after 'Pran Pratishtha'". India Today. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  45. ^ Sir James Macnabb Campbell (1885). Notes on the spirit basis of belief and custom. (Rough draft). Government Central Press. p. 119.
  46. ^ NDTV News Desk, ed. (23 January 2024). "Diamonds, Rubies: All You Need To Know About Ram Lalla Idol's Ornaments". NDTV. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  47. ^ a b Santosh Kumar Sharma, ed. (23 January 2024). "15 kg of gold, 18,000 emeralds and diamonds adorn Ram Lalla's magnificent idol". India Today. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  48. ^ Vani Mehrotra, ed. (22 January 2024). "Majestic Ram Lalla's idol adorned with diamonds, rubies, gold bow and arrow". NDTV. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  49. ^ Lavanya Vemsani (2016). Krishna in History, Thought, and Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9798216108450.
  50. ^ M. Srinivas Chary (2003). The Hindu Temple Traditions of Draksharama. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-77346-765-1.
  51. ^ a b Livemint, ed. (23 January 2024). "Ram Lalla to be called Balak Ram; from aarti timings to bhog, five things to know about Ayodhya Ram Temple". Livemint. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  52. ^ "Yam, Yaṃ, Yām: 15 definitions". Wisdom Library. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  53. ^ Amaresh Datta, ed. (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 1582. ISBN 9788126011940.
  54. ^ a b ANI, ed. (4 January 2024). "Built in traditional Nagara style Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir will be 161 feet tall with five Mandapas says Temple Trust". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  55. ^ "'Surya Tilak' illuminates Ram Lalla idol's forehead at Ayodhya Temple on Ram Navami". Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  56. ^ "The Science Behind 'Surya Tilak' Ceremony At Ayodhya's Ram Temple". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  57. ^ "'Surya Tilak' illuminates Ram Lalla's forehead in Ayodhya on Ram Navami". India Today. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  58. ^ "Ram Lalla's Surya Tilak Completed: Watch mesmerising images of sun kissing Lord Ram's forehead in Ayodhya's Ram Mandir". The Economic Times. 17 April 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  59. ^ "How a beam of sunlight was directed on Lord Ram's forehead in Ayodhya temple". The Indian Express. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  60. ^ Urmila Mohan (2019). Clothing as Devotion in Contemporary Hinduism. Brill. ISBN 978-9-00441-913-1.
  61. ^ ET Online, ed. (23 January 2024). "Ayodhya's Ram Lalla idol at Ram Mandir named as 'Balak Ram'; Bhog food items, aarti and attire colour schedule also announced". Economic Times. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  62. ^ Namita, Namita (5 August 2020). "280-feet wide, 300-feet long and 161-feet tall: Ayodhya Ram temple complex to be world's third-largest Hindu shrine". New Indian Express. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  63. ^ Abraham, Bobins (5 August 2020). "Meet Chandrakant Sompura, The Architect Who Has Designed Ram Temple In Ayodhya". India Times. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balak_Ram_(idol)&oldid=1255933341"