Ram Rath Yatra reaches Ayodhya

Ayodhya, Oct 08: A Ram Rath Yatra, which started in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu last month, reached Ayodhya on Wednesday and its participants handed over a large bell for installation at the Ram temple.

The yatra, organised by the Chennai-based Legal Rights Council, began on September 17 and covered a distance of 4,500 km across 11 states before reaching Ayodhya on Wednesday.

Talking to PTI, Rajlakshmi Manda, who drove the rath, said the 4.1-foot-tall bell with 'Jai Sri Ram' embossed on it weighs 613 kg.

Its sound can be heard within a radius of 10 km of the temple, Manda said.

They also handed over bronze idols of Lord Ram, Sita, Laxman, Ganpati and Lord Hanuman to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust secretary Champat Rai.

The 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony to begin the construction of the temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh was conducted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5.