HOW DOES AYODHYA'S RAM TEMPLE LOOK FROM SPACE? VIEW SATELLITE IMAGES OF INDIA

The 2.7-acre Ram temple site can be visited and a detailed view of it has also been provided using the Indian Remote Sensing series satellite.

   The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has given the nation the first 'darshan' or glimpse of the grand Ram temple, as seen from space using our own indigenous satellites, at the grand consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

The 2.7-acre Ram temple site can be visited and a detailed view of it is also provided using the Indian remote sensing series of satellites. About a month ago, on December 16 last year, the under-construction temple was captured. Since then, it has become difficult to get a clear view due to dense fog in Ayodhya.

Dashrath Mahal and Saryu River are clearly visible in the satellite photos. The newly renovated Ayodhya Railway Station is also worth a visit.

India currently has more than 50 satellites in space, and some of them have a resolution of less than one meter. The image has been processed by the National Remote Sensing Center in Hyderabad, a part of the Indian Space Agency.

ISRO technologies have also been used in other phases of the construction of the temple. A major challenge in this grand project was to identify the exact location to install the idol of Lord Ram. The trust entrusted with the responsibility of building the temple wanted the idol to be placed at the 3 feet X 6 feet place where Lord Ram is believed to have been born.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad's international working president Alok Sharma is closely associated with the Ram Mandir project. He told NDTV that after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, 40 feet of debris covered the spot where Lord Ram is believed to have been born. This debris had to be removed and the location secured so that the new statue would be in the exact same spot.

This was easier said than done as the construction of the temple began almost three decades after its destruction. Then, space technology came to the rescue.

To identify the exact location, contractors from construction firm Larsen & Toubro used the most sophisticated Differential Global Positioning System (GPS)-based coordinates. Coordinates accurate to about 1-3 centimeters were worked out. They formed the basis for the installation of the idol in the sanctum sanctorum or sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

The precision equipment used in these geographical instruments also includes precise location signals from India's own 'indigenous GPS' – the ISRO-built 'Navigation with Indian Constellation' or NavIC satellite constellation.

ISRO Chairman S Somnath told NDTV that five satellites of the NAvIC constellation are operational, and the system is currently ready for upgrade.