9th August 2023, Mumbai: An elderly artisan from Aligarh, famous for its handmade locks, has made a 400 kg lock for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya which is expected to open for devotees in January next year.
An ardent devotee of Lord Ram, Satya Prakash Sharma toiled for months to prepare the “world’s largest handmade lock” which he plans to gift to the Ram temple authorities later this year.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust officials said they are receiving offerings from scores of devotees and they will have to see where the lock can be used.
What is the specialty of locks
Talking about this lock, it is 10 feet high, 4.5 feet wide and 9.5 inches thick. In the beginning of the year also this lock was displayed in the annual exhibition held in Aligarh. Now Sharma is engaged in minor modification and decoration of this lock. They do not want that there should be any deficiency in it. Satya Prakash Sharma’s wife Rukmini Devi gave her full support in making this lock.
How much did it cost to make the locks?
Satya Prakash Sharma’s wife told that earlier we had made a six feet long and three feet wide lock. But some people suggested us to make a bigger lock. After that we started working on it. According to Sharma, the cost of making this lock was around Rs 2 lakh. I thought of making a huge lock for Ram Mandir because our city is known for locks and no one has done anything like this before. I put in all my life’s savings to build it.
Dr . Sharma’s comment
The locksmith, who runs a small lock-making unit from his house in Naurangabad colony, said, “I have been making locks since childhood. I got the idea of making a giant lock for the temple since it would be a unique thing”. Currently, Sharma is busy making minor additions and providing finishing touches to his “creation”. “I’m looking for someone who could contribute towards the purchase of steel and brass,” he said. Meanwhile, the lock has been ‘parked’ on the lane outside his house .Dr Anil Mishra, a senior member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, when contacted, said that he will “need to speak to others in trust before commenting on whether the lock can be accepted”.
According to sources, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetrathe trust officials have been receiving offerings from scores of devotees. The consecration ceremony of the temple is scheduled to be held in January 2024. The lock, built at a cost of about Rs 2 lakh, has a picture of Lord Ram.
ASC Priya