An elderly artisan from Aligarh, famous for its handmade locks, has made a 400 kg lock for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya which is expected to open for devotees in January next year.
An ardent devotee of Lord Ram, Satya Prakash Sharma toiled for months to prepare the "world's largest handmade lock" which he plans to gift to the Ram temple authorities later this year.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust officials said they are receiving offerings from scores of devotees and they will have to see where the lock can be used.
Mr. Sharma said his family has been engaged in making handmade locks for more than a century while he has been hammering, grinding, and shining locks in Aligarh, also known as 'taala nagri' or the land of locks, for over 45 years.
He made the giant lock, which is 10 feet high, 4.5 feet wide, and 9.5 inches thick with a four feet key, keeping the Ram Temple in mind, Mr. Sharma said.
The lock was displayed at the annual Aligarh exhibition earlier this year and Mr. Sharma, who is busy making minor modifications and adding embellishments to his creation, said he wants it to be perfect.
It was a "labour of love" for me while my wife, Rukmani, too helped me in this arduous venture, Mr. Sharma said.
"Earlier we had made a 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide lock but some people suggested making a bigger lock so we started working on it," Ms. Rukmani said, adding that final touches are being given to the lock.
According to Mr. Sharma, it cost him about ₹2 lakh to make the lock and he has willingly poured his life's savings in turning his dream project into a reality.
"As I've been in the lock-making business for decades, I thought of making a giant lock for the temple as our city is known for locks and no one has done anything like this before," he said.
Meanwhile, the temple trust will hold the consecration ceremony at Ram Mandir on January 21, 22, and 23 next year for which an invitation will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ram Mandir Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said on Friday.
