Kendrapada: Allegations of multi-crore embezzlement and theft of cash and valuables from donation boxes at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya have left Odisha’s stone sculptors, who played a key role in the temple’s construction, deeply distressed and disappointed.Around 250 stone sculptors from Odisha, mostly from Sukhuapada and Lalitgiri villages, were engaged by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to carve intricate stone and marble sculptures for the temple. Their work included images of deities, flowers, elephants, horses, dancing figures and several other ornamental carvings that adorn the shrine.Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, constituted by the Centre in Feb 2020 to oversee the construction and management of Ram Mandir, has recently come under scrutiny following allegations of financial irregularities involving temple donations.“It is a lesser-known fact that around 140 sculptors from Sukhuapada and Lalitgiri villages at the foothills of the historic Lalitgiri Buddhist site contributed significantly to the temple by carving hundreds of idols and decorative sculptures. Many stone sculptors of Balasore, Puri, Khordha and Mayurbhanj districts also worked in Ayodhya,” said Nirmal Moharana (55), a sculptor from Sukhuapada of Jajpur district who worked at Ayodhya temple site for nearly a year.According to Moharana, nearly 2,000 workers took part in the temple’s construction, while Odia sculptors alone created around 1,000 carvings, including idols of deities, elephants, bulls, depictions of Lord Ram’s various avatars and other artistic works installed across the temple complex.“We were proud to be part of the historic construction of the Ram Mandir. But we are deeply shocked by reports of large-scale misappropriation of devotees’ donations. The govt must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,” Nirmal Moharana said.Several other sculptors echoed similar sentiments, expressing disappointment over the alleged corruption. “We devoted years of hard work to building the temple. It is painful that those entrusted with its management are accused of looting devotees’ money. Such acts have betrayed not only public trust but also the faith of those who helped build the shrine,” said Ashok Moharana (52), another sculptor from Sukhuapada who worked on several temple carvings. Now, Ashok is now busy making an elephant in a temple in Tamil Nadu.Requesting anonymity, another artisan alleged that the reported irregularities in donation funds could be “only the tip of the iceberg” and claimed that financial irregularities might also have occurred during various stages of the temple’s construction.Sukhuapada village, known for its rich tradition of stone carving, is home to nearly 300 sculptors.Many of them spent close to two years in Ayodhya, contributing their craftsmanship to what they describe as one of India’s most significant religious monuments.“Stone never perishes; it preserves history. Working on the Ram Mandir was like creating history for future generations. That is why these allegations of corruption have left us heartbroken,” said Narendra Moharana (52), a sculptor of Lalitgiri village, 20 kilometres from Kendrapada, who spent 15 months in Ayodhya during the construction of the temple.
