Five months after its grand opening, the Ram temple in Ayodhya is facing water leakage from the ceiling during rainfall, according to the temple's chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das. On Monday, June 24, Das alleged negligence in the temple's construction, particularly the lack of a rainwater drainage system.
Das said that water leakage specifically occurred near the location where the Ram Lalla idol is housed. "In the first rain, the roof of the sanctum sanctorum where the idol of Ram Lalla was installed started to leak,” he told ANI. He expressed surprise and concern over the incident, given the efforts involved in the temple's construction and said, "So many engineers are here, and the Pran Pratishtha was held on January 22, but water is leaking from the roof. Nobody would have thought this."
The priest urged the temple authorities to take immediate corrective measures or else offering prayers at the temple would become difficult if the rain intensifies. He also spoke of the absence of a proper drainage system to handle the rainwater.
Nripendra Mishra, chairperson of the Sri Ram Mandir Construction Committee, confirmed the rainwater leakage from the first floor and issued instructions for repairs and waterproofing. Mishra explained that the leakage was somewhat anticipated due to the 'Guru Mandap' being exposed. "I saw the rainwater dropping from the first floor. This is expected because Guru Mandap is exposed to the sky as the second floor and completion of Shikhar will cover this opening," he said in a statement to ANI. Mishra also mentioned seepage from the conduit on the first floor, noting that this issue will be resolved once construction is completed.
The Pran Pratistha ceremony of Ram Lalla was conducted on January 22 this year in a rushed manner ahead of the elections despite objections from some Hindu seers.
Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, one of the seers who refused to attend the consecration of the temple, said that the consecration was advanced due to “political gains.” He said that the temple consecration should not happen until the construction work was completed.
The grand temple inauguration was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders such as Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, and JP Nadda. The temple's construction has been a significant project, with immense public and political attention. The recent water leakage issues have, however, raised concerns about the construction quality and oversight.