New Delhi: On Saturday, the Centre conferred Padma awards to 139 distinguished personalities from various fields on the eve of India’s 76th Republic Day. Aman, the Padma award winners included seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awardees.
Among those who were awarded Padma Shri included Chandrakant Sompura (81) who is credited with making the design of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya which was inaugurated last year in January. Notably, he belongs to family that designed the architect of various more than 200 years since last several hundred years. He is the 15th generation of his family who have designed temples in India and abroad.
Sompura’s grandfather had designed the revived Somnath Mandir in Gujarat
Sompura’s grandfather Prabhashankar Sompura had designed the revived Somnath Mandir in 1949. Apart from this, his family has also designed Akshardham temple in Gujarat, Swaminarayan Mandir in Mumbai, Birla Mandir in Kolkata among others. .
Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) late president Ashok Singhal was impressed with the design of Birla Mandir. Speaking to a media organisation in 2020, he had revealed that he was contacted by the VHP through Birla family to make the architect of ram Mandir nearly 33 years ago.
Ram Mandir’s design was first approved in 1990
It was in 1987 that he had first come up with Ram Mandir design that was agreed upon by saints during a meeting in 1990. The temple was later upgraded by the family. Explaining about the construction of the Ram Temple, the Sompura family later revealed that a traditional interlocking stone process was used in the construction of the Ram Mandir.
The Ram Mandir was inaugurated on January 22 last year amid grand ceremony, which was attended by several dignitaries including PM Modi. The first year anniversary of the temple was also celebrated recently.
