INDIA, January 18, 2026 (Indian Express): As the sun rose over the sprawling grounds of the Virat Ramayan Mandir in East Champaran district’s Motihari Saturday, workers and engineers prepared for a long-awaited moment. Two cranes, each with a capacity of around 750 tons, carefully lifted a colossal black-granite monolith weighing about 231 tons and inched it towards a nearby pedestal. Guided by engineers, the 33-foot structure was lowered inch by inch onto a base nearly twice its height. Priests and Vedic scholars from centers including Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Haridwar conducted rituals that lasted several hours. The actual pran prathishta ceremony will take place at a later time.

Source: Indian Express January 22, 2026 03:04 UTC