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Who is the chief architect of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir at Ayodhya?
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Answer: Option D — Chandrakant Sompura
Detailed Solution
Chandrakant Bhai Sompura, from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is the chief architect of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir (Ram Temple) at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. He was assisted by his sons, Nikhil and Ashish Sompura.
About Chandrakant Sompura:
He belongs to the Sompura family, a traditional family of temple architects, who have designed more than 100 temples over generations.
His grandfather, Prabhashankar Sompura, designed the reconstructed Somnath Temple in Gujarat (inaugurated in 1951). Prabhashankar Sompura was awarded the Padma Shri.
Chandrakant Sompura first prepared the design of the Ram Temple in 1988, at the request of the Vishva Hindu Parishad; the design was revised and enlarged in 2020.
He has also designed the Akshardham Temple at Gandhinagar and other temples in India and abroad.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2025.
About the Ram Mandir:
- It is built in the "Nagara" style of North Indian temple architecture.
- It is three-storeyed, with five mandapas (halls), 392 pillars and 44 doors.
- It is about 161 feet (49 metres) high, 380 feet long and 250 feet wide.
- It is built of pink sandstone from Bansi Paharpur (Rajasthan), without the use of iron or steel.
The "Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust", set up in February 2020, oversees its construction. Larsen and Toubro (L&T) built it, and Tata Consulting Engineers was the project manager.
The "Bhoomi Pujan" (foundation ceremony) was held on 5 August 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The "Pran Pratishtha" (consecration) of the idol of Ram Lalla was held on 22 January 2024.
The idol of Ram Lalla (51 inches tall), made of black stone (krishna shila) from Karnataka, was sculpted by Arun Yogiraj of Mysuru.
The temple's construction was completed and a flag was hoisted on the main spire in November 2025.
Background:
In November 2019, the Supreme Court gave its judgment in the Ayodhya land dispute case ("M. Siddiq vs Mahant Suresh Das"), giving the disputed land for the temple and directing that 5 acres of land be given elsewhere in Ayodhya for a mosque.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Charles Correa designed the Jawahar Kala Kendra (Jaipur) and the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya (Ahmedabad).
- ✗V. Doshi designed the IIM Bangalore campus; he won the Pritzker Prize in 2018, the first Indian to do so.
- ✗Hafeez Contractor is a Mumbai-based architect known for high-rise buildings.
Quick tip
Remember: Ram Mandir architect = Chandrakant Sompura (Nagara style; Prabhashankar Sompura designed the Somnath Temple, 1951); Bhoomi Pujan = 5 August 2020; Pran Pratishtha = 22 January 2024; Ram Lalla idol by Arun Yogiraj.
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This topic covers famous personalities from India and the world: leaders, reformers, scientists, entrepreneurs and their nicknames, along with the founders of organisations, companies, institutions, religions and movements. Questions often use popular titles such as 'Iron Man of India' (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) or 'Nightingale of India' (Sarojini Naidu), or ask who founded an organisation, such as the Ramakrishna Mission (Swami Vivekananda). Grouping people by field and by title makes revision faster and helps you spot wrong options. Practise the famous personalities questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.