The first shipment of teakwood for the construction of the Ram Mandir is scheduled to depart from Chadrapur on Wednesday, thus the Maharashtra government has scheduled the Shobha Yatra for that day.
Following the importation of Shaligram stone from Nepal, attempts are being made to deliver teakwood from Chandrapur, a forest in Maharashtra, to Ayodhya. This wood will largely be utilized for the construction of the Ram Mandir's major gates as well as other entry and exit points.
A note of appreciation for the teakwood was just sent to Sudhir Mungantiwar by the Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust established for the construction and administration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The letter claims that the temple is being built such that it will have a structurally sound foundation for a thousand years.
Nripendra Misra, the head of the temple construction committee, had enquired at the Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute where the best timber for the temple's construction could be found.
The temple engineers and those from L&T examined the quality of the wood kept in Chandrapur's Ballarshah depot (timber, poles, and firewood received from the forest are graded and stacked in this depot) and found it satisfactory after the research institute claimed the wood found in Chandrapur is of the best quality in India.
Following that, it was decided that the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited would provide the wood needed for the construction of the Ram Mandir.
Sudhir Mungantiwar, the forest minister, said: "With celebration and reverence, the first shipment of the teakwood will be delivered to Ayodhya. At Ballarpur, a Shobha yatra is being organized. We are going to perform a pooja for two very large trees that we have named Ram and Laxman. At the Chandrapur Mahakali temple, another ceremony will take place. The invitation list for this occasion is large with luminaries. The Maharashtra government will offer Ayodhya the wood at extremely discounted prices "Mungantiwar added.
In Maharashtra, the Chandrapur and Gadchiroli regions are renowned for their extensive teak woods.
