Satya Prakash Sharma, an artisan of advanced age hailing from Aligarh, a renowned hub for intricate handcrafted locks, has masterminded an astounding feat – a 400 kg lock designed exclusively for the forthcoming Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, expected to unveil its sanctum to devotees in January of the ensuing year.

Satya Prakash Sharma, through tireless dedication spanning numerous months, forged what is being touted as the “world’s largest handmade lock.” This monumental creation stands tall at 10 feet, spanning 4.5 feet in width, and a formidable thickness of 9.5 inches.

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Notably, his unwavering partner in this venture is none other than his wife, Rukmani, an integral partner who has shared the toilsome expedition every step of the way.

A four-foot key accompanies this grand masterpiece, conceived with the Ram Temple’s essence deeply embedded within its design.

The initial glimpse of this lock was exhibited to the public at the annual Aligarh exhibition earlier this year. Since its debut, this exceptional work of art has undergone a perpetual evolution, sculpted and adorned through Sharma’s craftsmanship.

Sharma, it is reported, expended months of painstaking labor upon this creation, with an intention to bestow the lock upon the custodians of the Ram temple later in the current year. It is recounted that a substantial sum of his hard-earned life savings, approximately Rs 2 lakh, was committed to the realization of this dream.

The Ayodhya Ram Mandir is scheduled to open its doors to the masses on January 25, 2024. Antecedent to this momentous occasion, a pran pratishtha ceremony, bestowing life and sanctity to the temple’s deities, is slated to be held from January 15 to January 24.

The path leading to the temple’s realization was chartered by a landmark judgment of the Supreme Court in late 2019, culminating a protracted movement that had spanned decades.

The erection of this monument has remained an unwavering fixture in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) political manifesto since as far back as 1996.