The Ram temple in Ayodhya is set to receive a bell weighing 2,400 kg. The monumental bell has been made of ‘ashtadhatu’ (eight metals) and costs Rs 25 lakhs. This extraordinary creation, transported via train, made its way to Ayodhya on Tuesday after its journey through various subdivisions of the Etah district.
Made by a diverse team of approximately 30 skilled workers, the bell is composed of eight metals: gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron, and mercury. This exquisite piece is among the largest bells in the country.
The bell, unique in its single-piece crafting, will produce a resonant sound audible within a two-kilometre radius and measures an impressive six feet in height and five feet in width. The meticulous process involved shaping and measuring the components, creating wooden templates for the mould, metal preparation, tuning, grinding, and fitting the clapper.
Metal trader Aditya Mittal shared that his late brother Vikas Mittal, former chairman of Jalesar Nagar Panchayat, wished to donate this bell before his unfortunate death in 2022 due to cardiac arrest. Mr Aditya, along with his other brother, Prashant Mittal, decided to honour Mr Vikas’s wish and donated the bell to the temple. The Mittal brothers received the order for the bell from the Nirmohi Akhara, a litigant in the Ayodhya title dispute, immediately after the Supreme Court’s decision in November 2019.
2400 kg giant bell offered for Ram temple in Ayodhya by a delegation from Etah: Temple trust in statement#RamMandir#Ayodhya#ShriRampic.twitter.com/QFxZiN81vh
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Mr Aditya said, “We believe there is some divine reason that this work came to us. So, we decided to donate it to the temple,” according to AP7AM News. The Etah district, renowned for its artisans, has around 300 factories in Jalesar contributing to the art of creating temple bells.