A total of 15 kg of gold, 18,000 emeralds and diamonds were used to make 14 pieces of jewellery for the idol
Mumbai: It was a marathon race, and arguably the most historic race for any jewellery brand of Indian origin, to adorn the idol of Ram Lalla inside Ayodhya’s new Ram Mandir. The ultimate credit goes to Harsahaimal Shiamlal Jewellers (HSJ) from Lucknow, a brand approached by the Ram Mandir Trust just 15 days before the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, for rising to the occasion and designing all the 14 ornaments for the idol.
A total of 15 kg of gold, 18,000 emeralds and diamonds were used to make the jewellery pieces, consisting of a tilak, four necklaces, a crown, a waistband, two pairs of anklets, two rings, and a Vijay Mala, encrusted with rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
Says Ankur Anand, Director, Harsahaimal Shiamlal Jewellers, “There was a lot of discussion with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust set up for the construction and management of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya by the Government of India, on how should Ram Lalla look. Based on their suggestion, we envisioned Lord Ram to be a 5.5-year-old boy. We consulted artworks on the Ramayana to finalize the design of the crown. We started with an emblem of the Sun God. Then we put an emerald to symbolize Lord Ram’s power.” The brand also used motifs of fish and peacocks on the wings atop the crown.
Working for Harsahaimal Shiamlal Jewellers, manufacturer Achal Jewels of Jaipur created a necklace for Ram Lalla, made of diamonds and precious coloured gemstones, in just eight days to be on time for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. “HSJ wanted us to deliver the necklace on January 14, 2024, so that the rehearsal could happen the next day. The necklace weighs 700 grams. As a manufacturer, fulfilling such a novel request at such short notice was a challenge, which we achieved by dedicating 200 man-hours,” says Vikas Mehta, Director, Achal Jewels.
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