It’s been a busy year for Pandey Murti Kala Kendra in Jaipur which has been in news for the idol it made for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in 2024. Now, artisans at Pandey Murti Kala Kendra are giving finishing touches to the idols for the ‘Ram Darbar’ which will come up at Ram Mandir’s first floor in Ayodhya. The Ram temple in Ayodhya will see the installation of a 'Ram Darbar' next month which will be open for devotees from June 6, temple construction committee chief Nripendra Mishra told PTI. The event will also mark the completion of the construction of the temple which started in 2020. The Ram Lalla consecration in 2024 was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It is expected that the idols of Lord Ram and that of his brothers and goddess Sita will arrive in Ayodhya and be installed on the temple's first floor on May 23,” Mishra told PTI. Speaking to The Indian Express, Prashant Pandey and his brother Puneet Pandey of Pandey Murti Kala Kendra said that they have carved 19 idols for the ‘Ram Darbar’. “The idols for the Ram Darbar are completed and once we get a call from the temple authorities, we will send the idols to Ayodhya,” Puneet said. “‘Ram Darbar’ will be depicting the coronation of Lord Ram when he returns from ’vanvas’ with Devi Sita after defeating Ravana. The Ram Darbar will have 19 idols including that of Ram, Sita, Hanuman, Bharat, Laxman, and others,” Puneet Pandey said. Pandey Murti Kala Kendra was one of the two artisans selected for making the main idol at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Satya Narayan Padney, father of Pandey brothers, was the main artisan of the idol. Prashant Pandey said that they created white idol for the temple with the stone from Makrana marble mines. Prashant said that to create the idol, their team had stayed in Ayodhya for eight months. However, the idol made in Karnataka was finally selected as the main idol of the Ram temple. “Our marble idol is still in Ayodhya, but it is yet to be installed. We have made 11 other idols for the main temple which have already been installed there,” said Prashant. Pandey Murti Kala Kendra has been in the business of making handcrafted stone idols for more than five decades. Their handcrafted idols are being exported to all the corners of the world. “Recently, we exported an idol for ISKCON in Pakistan and another one is under construction. We also have an idol ready for Bangladesh but due to the security situation there, it is not exported yet,” said Puneet Pandey. “To make a perfect idol, there are multiple stages. There are specialised artisans to carve body, hair, ornaments, or face. Choosing the right stone is the most important step,” Puneet said. “My brother and I are involved in the process and each idol will be checked multiple times before sending,” said Puneet.
