21-Foot-Tall Ram atatue constructed in Panjyunaya through donations

Baitadi: A 21-foot-tall statue of Lord Shri Ram has been constructed at the Shri Ram Temple in Panjyunaya, Dogadakedar Rural Municipality-6, Baitadi.

According to Bir Singh Karki, chairman of the Ram Statue Construction Committee, the statue was built through donations totaling Rs 500,000, collected from both domestic and international contributors. "We have successfully constructed a 21-foot-tall Ram statue through donations from within the country and abroad," Karki stated, adding that additional construction work, including temple exterior painting, is currently underway.

The committee has announced that the formal inauguration (Pranapratishtha) of Lord Shri Ram's statue will take place on Chaitra 24, coinciding with Ram Navami. A grand fair, a tradition observed for centuries, will be held on this occasion, attracting devotees from various districts of the Far Western Region, including Baitadi and Darchula. This religiously significant site is also mentioned in the Skanda Purana.

The confluence of the Jamadi and Chaulani rivers, located in the former Dhik area of Baitadi, now part of Dogadakedar Rural Municipality, Dilasaini Rural Municipality, Shailyashikhar Municipality, and Lekam Rural Municipality of Darchula, is considered a sacred site of faith. Nainsingh Goyala, a key proponent of the idol's construction and committee member, emphasized that a grand Ram Navami fair has been held here since ancient times.

The site has long been a center for pilgrimages, fasts, religious ceremonies, and weddings. Committee chairman Karki also revealed plans to construct a Homakunda (sacred fire pit) in the temple premises in the near future. To support the temple's expansion, local residents Baldev Singh Karki, Krishna Singh Karki, Bhan Singh Karki, and Ganesh Singh Karki have donated land for its development.