Over 1,000 km away from Ayodhya, a town carves its name in Mandir history

In Pindwara, a tribal tehsil in south Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, more than 1,000 stone carvers have been racing against time to finish columns, ceilings, beams and arches in pink sandstone for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. The temple opening is scheduled for January 2024, and the deadline for its first phase is December this year.
Ruparam, a 44-year-old stone-carver, has not taken a day off since the Mandir work began 18 months ago. The whirr and buzz of grinder and gang saw machines has become incessant with time.