Ancient idols, pillars, Shiva Ling found at Ram temple construction site

New Delhi: Amid the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a pillar and carvings on sandstone were discovered in the debris. A five-foot long shivaling (lingam) was also unearthed, news agency ANI reported Ayodhya Trust General Secretary as saying. It must be noted that since the past 10 days, construction work is underway at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.

According to TV reports, broken idols of Devi-Devtas and other items were also found during the levelling of the land at Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi temple site.

“Debris being removed & land being levelled at Ram Janmabhoomi since past 10 days. Discovered pillar in debris of the structure & carvings on sandstone. Found a Shivling there & a similar one at Kuber Teela,” Champat Rai, General Secretary of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust Ayodhya said on Wednesday.

This development may assume importance in the decades-long dispute over the site for its religious significance. The contention, however, was settled by the Supreme Court last year.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by then-Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had given sole ownership of the land to Ram Lalla, rejecting respective ownership claims of the Waqf Board and the Nirmohi Akhara. However, it had directed the Centre to give Muslims an alternate five-acre site for the mosque.