Balak Ram (idol)

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 mythical birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama in Ayodhya, India.[4][5] Balak Rama is housed in the sacred sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha) 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 Surya Tilak.[12]

  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. ^ 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. ^ 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 "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. ^ Cite error: The named reference Controversial was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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.


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