Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A replica of Ayodhya’s Ram temple made of sandstone, brass and cowdung was a major draw at Shilp Mela under Lokrang, which ended on Tuesday.
Rajneesh Soni from Teekamgarh displayed a 7x5 inch replica of Ram temple made of brass. The weight of brass temple, made by his father Vishwakarma awardee Lal Ram Soni (64), is 3 kilogram. Ram Darbar in different sizes were also displayed.
The price of largest Ram Darbar weighing 26 kg was priced at Rs 51,000. “The response was good. We sold 12 pieces of Ram Darbar and one piece of Ram Temple replica,” Soni said.
Artisan Prabhat Sisodiya displayed miniature models of Ayodhya’s Ram temple made of sandstone powder. The replica temple is 10 inches high with 12-inch wooden base. It weighs 1kg. He also displayed Ram temple and Ram Darbar carved in stone.
“The response was quite good. We sold 12 pieces of Ram temple replica. Of them, two were carved in wood,” Sisodiya said. “We displayed an original photograph of Ram temple in Ayodhya so that customers recognise it easily.”
Artisan Nita Deep Bajpai from Bhopal displayed the replica of Ram temple at Ayodhya made of cow dung. The length and width of the temple is 10 inch and its price is Rs 900 a piece. About 3,000 pieces were prepared in two months.
A 9X6 inch Ram Darbar made of cow dung was also displayed. Eco-friendly colours were used to paint items. “Demand of these items are high from across the country,” Nita said. “Process to make them with cow dung is lengthy and requires hard work. That’s why, it is costly,” she added.
A 7x4.5ft wooden idol of Lord Tirupati Balaji was also a major attraction. Artisan Somnath Reddy from Andhra Pradesh who made it sold it for Rs 3 lakh on Tuesday. It took six months to complete, he said.
