Ram Mandir: Colossal Dhwaja Danda Weighing 5,500kg Arrives in Ayodhya from Gujarat on Special Chariot

The soon-to-be-opened Ram Temple in Ayodhya will have another architectural marvel to its credit – a 5,500-kg, 44-foot tall Dhawaja Stambh, or flag post, at the top of the main structure. One of India’s tallest and heaviest flag posts made of pure brass, it landed in Ayodhya on Monday.

Built by an Ahmedabad-based firm, the Dhwaja Stambh or Dhawaja Dand, which is said to be the most unique pole designed and carved as per ancient Hindu scriptures, was flagged off by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on January 5 and was brought to Ayodhya in a special chariot weighing 450kg.

Officials with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Teerth Kshetra Trust told News18 that on January 22, during the consecration ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hoist a saffron flag typically associated with temples on the Dhwaja Dand.

What is a Dhwaja Dand?

“Dhwaja Dand is perhaps the most important feature of any temple. What makes it important is that it can’t be replaced, it stays there forever as long as the temple exists. Other than the Dhwaja Dand, it’s a deity’s idol and a kalash that stay in a temple forever. The Dhwaja Dand, in local parlance, connects the universe to the sanctum sanctorum. It is designed to give positive energy to the one seeking blessings of the deity,” said Bharat Mewada, managing director of Shree Ambika Engineering Works, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Mewada added that the Dhwaja Dand is erected on top of the temple roof, which “also symbolises the world axis and a pillar between Earth and heaven”.

The Dhwaja Dand made for Ayodhya’s Ram Temple is one of its kind, he further said. “Indeed, it’s one-of-a-kind Dhwaja Dand. It’s our first. We have never prepared any such Dhwaja Dand in the 81 years our firm has existed,” he said.

“The Dhwaja Dand is made of pure brass. No other non-ferrous metals have been used in making it. It is made purely as per Shilp Shastra. It is 44-feet long, 9.5 inch in diameter and weighs 5,500 kg. Until now, we had only prepared Dhwaja Dands 25 to 30 feet long and 450 kg in weight,” he added.

“The creation of this unique piece was possible through the blessings of Lord Ram. Apart from these poles, the hardware for the temple’s doors (hinges and locking system) has also been sent to Ayodhya. I am happy that we got a chance to work for the Ram Mandir.”