Hyderabad firm crafts 240 teak doors for Ayodhya Ram Mandir

Hyderabad-based Anuradha Timber International crafted 240 teak wood doors, thresholds and windows for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Made using premium teak from Maharashtra, the doors are designed to last over 1,000 years and showcase exceptional craftsmanship.

Hyderabad: On your next visit to the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya, make sure to carefully observe and appreciate the intricate craftsmanship on the doors, threshold and windows, from the main entrance to the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Lalla and up to other small shrines located on the sprawling 70 acres of the mandir’s premises.

All put together, a total of 240 thresholds, doors, and windows for the Ram Mandir were crafted by Hyderabad-based timber firm, Anuradha Timber International.

Over 200 highly experienced and skilled craftsmen from Mahabalipuram and Tamil Nadu worked day and night and completed the project on time. The high-quality teak wood, sourced from Balharshah, Maharashtra, was crafted in line with the traditional architectural style.

“On the recommendations of the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, an extensive search was carried out in the Balharshah forest area for teak wood. Finally, we chose 150 tons of teak wood, which did not have cracks and knots, to carve the doors of the Ram Mandir. The selected wood logs were transported in heavy loads of trucks to Ayodhya, where we set up an exclusive workshop, besides the main temple,” Chadalavada Sharath Babu, Managing Partner of Anuradha Timbers, told Telangana Today.

The doors, crafted with precision and dedication, are a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the artisans involved. For three years, artisans were restricted from having non-vegetarian dishes. The lifespan of the teak wood, which is crafted into doors for the temple, is more than 1,000 years, says Sharath Babu.

Girish Shahashara Bhoje, one of the structural engineers of the world’s tallest Burj Khalifa building in Dubai, checked the fitting of the doors. Normally, we use doors with a thickness of 1.5 inches, but the Ayodhya temple doors are made with a thickness of 4 inches. This is similar to the iron doors used for strongrooms in banks, said Sharath. Even the door fittings are made of brass, which cannot rust for more than 1,000 years, he added.

Though several timber businessmen across the country tried their luck to craft the doors for the Ram Mandir, I got a golden opportunity. I feel that I am blessed. The installation of these doors is a matter of pride for Telangana, as they now adorn one of the most important religious structures in the country, he added.

Telangana to Ayodhya

• Silver padukas were offered by city-based Challa Srinivas Sastry to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
• A Hyderabad businessman, M Venkatadas, gifted a grand pearl garland (Gaja Mala) for Lord Ram at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir during the Pran Pratishtha.
• A resident of Secunderabad, Nagabhushan, donated kadais for Ayodhya temple prasad. Festive prasad is made in stainless steel kadais every day by the temple priests and offered to Shri Ram.