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Sky Burial: A Sacred Rite of Passage ? A mystery or dark truth ?

Death is a universal phenomenon, but the ways in which different cultures approach the disposal of the deceased vary immensely. While burial and cremation are the most common methods of handling the deceased in many societies, there exists a fascinating and ancient practice known as sky burial, which holds deep significance in Tibetan Buddhist culture. Sky burial, or “jha-tor” in Tibetan, involves placing the deceased on a mountaintop to be consumed by scavenging birds, primarily vultures. This unique ritual is more than just a means of disposing of the dead; it embodies profound spiritual beliefs and cultural values.

Origins and Significance

Drigung Monastery, Tibetan monastery famous for performing sky burials

Sky burial has its roots in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, dating back over a thousand years. According to Buddhist beliefs, the body is merely a vessel for the soul, and once death occurs, the soul transitions to the afterlife, while the body becomes an empty shell. The practice of sky burial aligns with the Buddhist principle of impermanence, emphasizing the transitory nature of life and the physical body.

The choice of vultures as the means of disposal is also symbolic. Vultures are revered in Tibetan culture as celestial messengers that guide the soul to the heavens. By offering their bodies to these birds, the deceased are believed to facilitate their journey to the next life, free from earthly attachments.

The Ritual Process

Vultures feeding on cut pieces of human body at a 2010 sky burial in Lhasa, Tibet

Sky burials typically take place in designated locations, often atop high mountain peaks, where the air is thin and the environment is conducive to natural decomposition. The process begins with the preparation of the body, which may involve dismemberment and exposure to the elements to expedite decomposition.

Once the body is ready, it is laid out on a platform or rock, exposed to the open sky. Monks may recite prayers and perform rituals to guide the soul on its journey. Then, the waiting vultures descend upon the corpse, swiftly consuming the flesh. The entire process can take several hours, depending on factors such as weather conditions and the number of scavengers present.

Cultural Perspectives

In Tibetan culture, sky burial is not viewed as a morbid or gruesome practice but as a sacred and honorable rite of passage. It is seen as a final act of generosity and compassion towards both the deceased and the scavenging birds. The offering of one’s body to the natural world is considered a selfless act of charity, embodying the Buddhist principles of compassion and non-attachment.

A body being prepared for sky burial in Sichuan

For many Tibetans, sky burial represents a deeply spiritual connection to the cycle of life and death. It serves as a reminder of the impermanence of existence and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Rather than fearing death, sky burial encourages acceptance and reverence for the natural order of the universe.

Controversies and Modern Challenges

Despite its rich cultural and spiritual significance, sky burial has faced criticism and controversy, particularly from outsiders unfamiliar with Tibetan customs. Some view the practice as barbaric or inhumane, failing to recognize its deep-rooted cultural and religious significance.

In recent years, sky burial has also encountered challenges due to environmental concerns and changing social attitudes. Deforestation, urbanization, and dwindling vulture populations have threatened the sustainability of the practice. Additionally, the influx of tourists and media attention has raised ethical questions about the commodification of a sacred ritual.

Conclusion

Sky burial is more than just a method of disposing of the dead; it is a profound expression of Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and cultural identity. Through this ancient ritual, Tibetans honor the cycle of life and death, embracing impermanence and interconnectedness. While sky burial may seem foreign or even unsettling to outsiders, it represents a deeply meaningful tradition that continues to resonate with those who adhere to its spiritual principles.

In a world increasingly disconnected from nature and the cycles of life, the sky burial serves as a poignant reminder of humanity’s place within the larger tapestry of existence. It challenges us to confront our mortality with acceptance and reverence, recognizing that death is not an end but a transition to something greater. As we gaze upon the skies, may we find solace in the timeless wisdom of this ancient ritual, and may the souls of the departed find peace in their journey beyond the horizon.

Videos and images of sky burial can be found online, but please be mindful of cultural sensitivities and the sacred nature of the ritual when sharing or viewing such content.

“Sky burial: where the vast expanse of heaven becomes the final resting place, uniting the departed with the infinite embrace of the cosmos.”

 

Nuclear Weapons Tests and Environmental Consequences: A Global Perspective

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Recap
Nuclear weapons testing began with the beginning of the atomic age and is the cause of radioactive pollution in many locations across the globe. The purpose of the study is to examine nuclear weapons tests carried out in the last decade of the 20th century, emphasizing the effects of radioactive pollution on underground, aquatic, and atmospheric places. The concentration of major radioactive isotopes that have been released, like 90Sr, 137Cs, and 14C, which are typically kept in the atmosphere and marine environment, has received particular attention. Furthermore, a project was undertaken to map the geographical boundaries of the most severely polluted locations on Earth and to identify the human exposure that has led to a marked rise in the local and regional incidence of thyroid cancer. One of the major cases to evaluate the relationship between the rise in thyroid cancer incidence rates and the radioactive contamination of the continent with 131I, a radioactive isotope released in significant quantities during nuclear tests conducted at the main test site in Nevada, is the United States.

Overview
The atomic age began with the end of World War II, when several states started the nuclear arms race. Initially, nations like the US, USSR, UK, France, China, and US became nuclear powers between 1945 and 1964 due to the synergistic the background of Cold War geopolitics and the absence of effective international disarmament programs (Katz 2008; Schenck and Youmans 2012).

“UN Warns: Global Warming Threatens India’s Economic Catastrophe, Risking 34 Million Jobs by 2030”

According to a UN labor agency assessment, India is expected to lose 5.8% of working hours in 2030 caused by global warming, which would result in a productivity loss equal to 34 million jobs. The construction and agriculture sectors would be most affected.

According to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) report titled “Working on a Warmer Planet – The Impact of Heat Stress on Labour Productivity and Decent Work,” by 2030, over two percent of all workers will be affected by heat stress.

Forecasts based on the assumption that global temperatures will rise by 1.5°C by the end of the twenty-first century and labor force trends indicate that, by 2030, high temperatures will cause 2.2 percent of all working hours to be lost globally, or 80 million full-time jobs’ worth of output to be lost.

It stated that by 2030, the total estimated financial loss worldwide as a result of heat stress would be USD 2,400 billion.

“If nothing is done now to mitigate climate change, these costs will be much higher as global temperatures increase even further towards the end of the century,” the paper stated.

In Asia and the Pacific, Southern Asian nations are most impacted by heat stress, and by 2030

It is expected that heat stress would have an even more noticeable effect on labor output.

Specifically, it is predicted that up to 43 million full-time employment, or 5.3% of all working hours, will be lost, with losses of at least 2% expected in two-thirds of Southern Asian nations.

The survey issued a severe warning, stating that India is the nation most affected by heat stress, having lost 4.3% of working hours in 1995 and is expected to lose 5.8% of work.

India is predicted to lose 34 million full-time jobs in terms of productivity due to heat stress in 2030, primarily due to its massive population.

“Although most of the impact in India will be felt in the agricultural sector, more and more working hours are expected to be lost in the construction sector, where heat stress affects both male and female workers,” said the report.

GDP declines are expected to result in significant national GDP losses by 2030.
The definition of heat stress is when temperatures rise above 35 degrees Celsius in areas with significant humidity. Those who work outside, including those in construction and agriculture, are most vulnerable to heat stress.

The report also mentioned Ahmedabad, a city in western India, which included a cool roofs effort in its 2017 Heat Action Plan. Notably, this initiative gave the city’s slum residents and urban poor, who are most at risk of the adverse health effects of excessive heat, access to affordable cool roofs.

The program’s objectives are to increase public awareness, enhance the reflectivity of government and school building roofs, and convert at least 500 slum houses’ roofs into cool roofs.

By the end of the following ten years, construction is predicted to be “severely impacted” as well, losing 19% of working hours worldwide.

Approximately five percent of working hours in 2030 will be lost in the at-risk sectors of garbage removal, emergency services, transportation, tourism, and sports, with the largest losses occurring in southern Asian and western African states.

According to the report, one issue facing the labor market is the high rates of informality in the area, especially in South-East and Southern Asia.

In Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Cambodia, up to 90% of all workers are employed informally. Informality is widespread in other industries as well, such as construction, wholesale and retail trade, hotels, and food service, even though it may be mostly relApproximately five percent of working hours in 2030 will be lost in the at-risk sectors of garbage removal, emergency services, transportation, tourism, and sports, with the largest losses occurring in southern Asian and western African states.

According to the report, one issue facing the labor market is the high rates of informality in the area, especially in South-East and Southern Asia.

In Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Cambodia, up to 90% of all workers are employed informally. Informality is widespread in other industries as well, such as construction, wholesale and retail trade, hotels, and food service, even though it may be mostly related to the high percentage of employment in agriculture.

Over 39°C temperatures can be fatal. However, in the event that no one is killed, these kinds of temperatures may prevent many others from working or only allow them to work part-time. Since they experience the consequences of heat stress at lower temperatures, certain worker groups are more vulnerable than others, according to the findings.

An rising proportion of workers are older workers, who naturally have less physiological resistance to extreme heat. This is a result of population aging.

 

Unheard News: Exploring the Hidden Impacts of Climate Change on India

2014–2016: Central India’s Bundelkhand region faced successive drought years. An acute water shortage emerged.

There are important stories that are frequently lost in the noise of headlines. The effects of climate change are felt most strongly in some parts of the world, such as India, while the entire world struggles with this deadly challenge. There are more significant yet less well-known effects of global warming on the Indian subcontinent that go beyond the sharp figures and dramatic headlines.

2019: Parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh reported crop failures due to moisture stress.

Climate change is making a number of issues that India, with its vast population and diverse geography, is facing worse.

All throughout the country, the effects of global warming are serious, from the massive Himalayas in the north to the expansive coastline in the south

The unpredictable monsoon patterns are among the most urgent problems. Millions of people in India depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and the success of each monsoon season is crucial to the country’s economy. This delicate equilibrium is upset by climate change-related unexpected rainfall, which causes crop failures, food insecurity, and financial hardship for farmers.Extreme weather occurrences have increased in frequency and severity in recent years. The effects of climate change are evident in everything from severe droughts in Maharashtra to catastrophic floods in Kerala. These occurrences frequently push vulnerable populations farther into poverty in addition to causing acute loss of life and material damage. They also leave communities with long-lasting scars.

The effects of global warming are seen in daily life and go beyond extreme disasters. Health problems are made worse by rising temperatures, particularly in crowded urban areas. Heatwaves, which were before rare, are now frequently occurring and pose a serious threat to public health, especially for the elderly and those with limited resources.

Furthermore, India’s unique biodiversity is in danger because of changing climates. Unique environments such as the mangroves of the Sundarbans and the Western Ghats are at risk of permanent harm, putting several plant and animal species in danger. In addition to disturbing sensitive ecological balances, biodiversity loss drains future generations of the natural gift they have a right to.

Communities around the coast are especially prone to the effects of global warming. Sea level rise, which is being caused by thermal expansion and melting glaciers, poses a threat to low-lying areas, removing millions of people and severely disrupting the socioeconomic system. Millions of people live in the Sundarbans, where the combined threat of storms that are getting stronger and rising sea levels increases the risk to lives and livelihoods.

At the national and international levels, coordinated efforts are needed to address these issues. India has made investments in renewable energy and adopted sustainable practices as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. But given the global scope of climate change, global collaboration is necessary.

The picture shows the area prone to global warming. The green areas have a vast diversity , the yellow areas need to be improved , the orange ones are mostly prone, and the global warming in the red areas are increasing at an alarming rate

International collaboration is necessary to support vulnerable nations like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in their efforts to adapt to the unavoidable effects of climate change as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To strengthen tolerance and safeguard the most vulnerable populations, funding support, technology transfer, and capacity-building programs are essential.

There’s no place for comfort when faced with such extraordinary problems. We must elevate the voices of people affected by climate change in order to bring attention to the frequently untold tales that demand it. We may strive toward a more just and sustainable future for all if we acknowledge the invisible effects of global warming on India and beyond.

 

“NASA’s UFO Research Team Dismisses Claims of Alien Mummies in Mexico”

After a press conference held by Mexican UFO celebrity, one of the two “non-human” individuals on display to the public is observed.

This week, articles about UFOs and aliens have returned to limelight.
Sadly, NASA’s long-awaited report on the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that the agency commissioned to be studied has been made public. This is not because a mothership has landed on Earth. UFOs are now referred to as UAPs, which includes unexplained objects in space, under water, and all other regions as well as the air.

Not all of the news this week’s top stories regarding potential extraterrestrial life was about the publication of NASA’s first UFO report. As per a report from this week in Mexico, about extraterrestrial life on Earth, which included two “corpses of aliens.” The reported alien corpses had similarity to standard alien pictures, appearing white.

the second ‘non-human’ beings displayed to the media

Jaime Maussan, a well-known UFO researcher who has a track record of creating reputedly non-human remains, on display the claimed alien mummies—well, the strange, whatever they are. Despite Maussan’s past of producing alien corpses and mummies, the topic has now gained widespread attention. In fact, it was brought up during NASA’s briefing regarding the latest UAP study.
A journalist for BBC News Digital inquired as to whether NASA had communicated with Mexican authorities on “the rather sensational revelations” regarding the claimed alien mummies. The chair of NASA’s UAP research team, David Spergel, responded that whoever acquired the material need to make it open to the public for analysis if there is proof of alien remains.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – Two ‘non-human’ beings displayed to the media. The bodies displayed in cases, have three fingers on each hand they were recovered in Peru in 2017, they have no relation to human beings, experts said.

“The Urban Growth” . A warning from the world’s leading Scientists for the “Planetary Tragedy”.

In order to protect the future of cities worldwide and the Earth as a whole, leading scientists are calling for a dramatic change in global governance.

Urbanization is occurring at a never-before-seen pace, placing extreme strain on depleted land, limited resources, and delicate ecosystems. In a paper published in the Science journal, specialists from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford, and Yale present their bold plans for a new international advisory board to address the worrying effects of urban growth. The role that this system would play in addressing climate change is comparable to that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Illustration: Urbanization has created an adverse effect on the environment, effecting all species. The image is based on the imagination of the destruction supposed to be caused by urban expansion.

The ignored Effects of Urbanization
Lead author Dr. Jessica Espey, a University of Bristol expert in international governance of sustainable development, stated: “There is a huge blind spot when it comes to looking at the devastating impact vast urban growth has on the planet. Climate change commands great global attention.”

“To help better manage the sustainable growth of our cities and protect the three vital Earth systems, including water, air, and land, on which we all depend,” far more international collaboration is required.

According to a recent World Cities Report, over half (55%) of the world’s population already resides in cities, and by 2050, this percentage is expected to increase to almost two-thirds.

The IPCC has noted that, although urban areas collectively contribute to approximately three-quarters of carbon dioxide emissions, their growth is not being jointly regulated at the global level. Cities are significantly affecting all four of Earth’s major systems: the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere. This is in addition to making climate change and air quality problems worse.

Urban Expansion’s Environmental Costs
One of the main causes of habitat and biodiversity loss in the world is the growth of urban land. Deeper division of the remaining undeveloped area contributes to it, as does land being reclaimed and occupied by cities. This affects ecosystems and wildlife habitats and raises the risk of fire, pest infestations, and diseases that could spread more quickly.

Disposal of waste, damaging emissions from industry and transportation, and land development are all factors in the sharp reduction in biodiversity. The hormone melatonin, which controls sleep cycles in humans and other animals, can be decreased by energy-efficient technology like LED lighting, which are referred to as “green” alternatives.

Integrated Urban Policy Is Necessary
The authors and other international leaders in the field of urban policy were gathered by Professor Michael Keith of Oxford University’s Peak Urban Research Programme. Professor Keith stated: “It’s time for world leaders to sit up and realize that handling climate change isn’t possible if we don’t look at how we design, build, finance, and manage the world’s cities.”

“Building cities with a focus on walking, bicycling, and public transportation can minimize emissions and the use of land and natural resources while also improving public health and social integration.”

Despite the serious and far-reaching effects of urban growth, the majority of international policymaking forums hardly ever address the problem and do not routinely engage with the pertinent scientists who may have valuable information or creative answers.

“The UN Secretary-General recently established a new scientific advisory council; however, urban science is not represented at this time. If we are to successfully and collaboratively handle some of the most serious global crises, this needs to change.

Reducing the environmental effects of fast urbanization requires a significant change in global governance, according to top experts.
Image: Reducing the environmental effects of fast urbanization requires a significant change in global governance, according to top experts.

The authors suggest a new urban science advisory system that would collaborate with the UN General Assembly to bring attention to important questions and update policymakers on the game-changing effects of urban expansion.

There are alternative models available, so this doesn’t have to be a broad, costly project with the same scope as the IPCC. It is still very clear that this transformation must occur immediately to prevent us from waking up to a different world crisis.

Dust Grains On the Asteroid Ryugu Are Older Than the Sun. Something gloomy or a myth?

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The Hayabusa2 mission was launched by the Japanese space agency in 2018 to the asteroid Ryugu. Its objective involved blasting material from the asteroid’s surface, putting it in a bottle, and returning it to Earth. That sample arrived in Australia’s western deserts two years later.

It is the purest sample of a carbon-rich asteroid ever recovered from that retrieval. As soon as possible, researchers studied the substance, extracting clues from its chemical composition about the solar system’s past. It appears that Ryugu may be older than the Sun itself based on the first results.

Ryugu’s insufficient carbon content and organic elements’ unexpected lack of reaction to high temperatures serve as the first hint. That indicates Ryugu developed somewhere outside the solar system, or at least outside of Jupiter’s orbit. Approaching it any nearer would have caused our newborn Sun to partially melt it and change its composition.

The asteroid once contained a significant amount of water ice, as evidenced by the fact that many of the compounds discovered inside Ryugu include water. This is the second hint. Once more, ice would have evaporated and no water would have been left to find its way into any intriguing chemical combinations if Ryugu had formed too close to the Sun.

Since any asteroid material we would analyze would need to first fall through our atmosphere at tens of thousands of miles per hour, astronomers had long suspected that asteroids like Ryugu formed far away from the Sun, but there was no way to confirm it until recently. The asteroids undergo so many changes as a result of this process that it is hard to determine their original composition.

All of this indicates that the material that surrounded the Sun before it started fusion events and developed into a star was the source of Ryugu and other carbon-rich asteroids. Probably even before the planets themselves formed, Ryugu existed. It was thrown into the asteroid belt, where it has been for billions of years, by Jupiter or Saturn’s gravitational pull shortly after it formed, together with all of its companions.

This explains why certain asteroids attract the interest of astronomers so much. Since they are history tablets, we can see into the solar system’s past before it was ever our own.

Space mysteries: Does the solar system’s sun move? A myth or truth ?

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We learn early in life that the planets in our solar system orbit a central star, the sun, and that their positions fluctuate during this process. But does the solar system’s center of mass actually move?

In any case, the sun is not at all static in the universe. For example, we are aware that the entire solar system is pulled along by our star as it travels at incredible speeds—up to 450,000 miles per hour (720,000 kilometers per hour)—around the center of the Milky Way.
The sun does look to move throughout the day from our viewing point, too. We are treated

to breathtaking sunrises and sunsets as it traverses the sky above Earth. However, the Earth’s rotation is what causes this movement; it’s not the outcome of the sun’s actual motion.

Additionally, the sun’s location in the sky changes from our perspective during the length of an Earth year, which is known to last 365.3 days. Nevertheless, Royal Museums Greenwich explains that this isn’t because the sun is really moving; rather, it’s because of Earth’s tilt, or the fact that our planet has a flattened or “elliptical orbit,” which causes it to occasionally be      closer to the sun than it is during the year.

The year of a planet is determined by how long it takes it to complete one full circle around the sun; the planet nearest to the sun has the shortest year.

Mercury. Eighty-eight Earth days make up Mercury’s year. A year on Neptune lasts 60,182 Earth days (164.8 Earth years), making it the longest planetary orbit in our cosmic vicinity.

But to get back to our original query, the quick answer is that, yes, the sun moves slightly across the solar system. The planets orbiting the sun’s gravitational pull are responsible for that restricted oscillatory motion, or “wobble”.

The most extended layer of the sun’s atmosphere is called the solar corona. Patrick Antolin is a solar scientist at Northumbria University who specializes in phenomena that we detect in the solar atmosphere.

Solar system for science education illustration  Diagram showing a scale comparison between the sun and the planets in the solar system. While the planets’ positions are displayed in relation to one another, their sizes are not. The sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune arranged according to their positions .

“Motion is always dependent upon the context in which it occurs. The sun is not exactly stationary within the solar system due to gravitational interactions with other things in the system, even though the solar system revolves around the Milky Way, our galaxy, Antolin told Space.com.

Two bodies engaging strongly is a two-way street, according to the solar physicist. Even when there is a vast size difference between the two bodies, as there is between the sun and the solar system’s planets, body one is still being pushed on by body two as well as by itself.

“Because of the large difference in mass between the sun and any other body in the solar system, the sun is the main gravitational attractor and is not very much affected by any of the other planets’ gravity,” he said.

All of this adds up to the fact that the planets in the solar system do not, in fact, orbit their stars. Rather, the sun and every planet revolve around a point of beneficial attraction known as a “barycenter,” the exact location of which is dictated by the masses of those bodies.

These barycenters exist deep inside the sun because it is far more massive than the planets; a planet with a smaller mass will have a barycenter that is closer to the sun’s core.

Furthermore, the sun will move less as a result of orbiting these barycenters closer to the sun’s center.

“To a good approximation, one can neglect the small gravitational pull from any other planet,” Antolin said. “However, our instruments and theory are precise and advanced enough that we can detect the small deviations from these additional gravitational pulls that the other bodies exert on the sun, and in particular that produced by Jupiter, which is more massive than all the other solar system planets combined.”

The solar system’s fifth planet, Jupiter, has no more of an impact on the sun than a 40 mph “wobble” over the planet’s 12-year cycle around its star. This is because the sun is almost 1,000 times more massive than Jupiter.

“Unlocking the Mystique: Fascinating Insights into Ayodhya’s Ram Temple You Shouldn’t Miss!”

Here are some fascinating details regarding the Ram Temple that you should be aware of.

Value of the Ayodhya Ram Temple
For Hindus, it is regarded as one of the most significant pilgrimage locations. Given that Ayodhya is thought to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, it is considered a sacred site.

When was the temple’s foundation stone placed?
On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the Ram Temple’s foundation stone.

How is the Ram Temple run?
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra is in charge of overseeing the temple’s administration. Information on events, particularly with regard to the ceremony on January 22, is updated on a regular basis on the organization’s handle.

On its website, the Trust states that it was founded by the federal government in response to the Supreme Court’s order, which is also in charge of the 2.7-acre temple’s construction.

Fascinating Details Regarding the Ram Temple
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra claims that the temple was built in the manner of the Nagars.Its dimensions are 380 feet long (east-west), 250 feet wide, and 161 feet high.

The three storeys of the temple are each twenty feet high, as stated on the Trust’s handle. There are 44 doorways and 392 pillars overall. Nritiya Mandap, Rang Mandap, Sabha Mandap, Prarthana Mandap, and Kirtan Mandap are the five mandaps, or halls.
Entrance is from the east, and pilgrims must up thirty-two steps via the Singh Dwar. Additionally, the Trust said that elevators and ramps are available for the benefit of people with disabilities.

The Trust asserts that one fascinating detail about the temple’s construction is that no iron was utilized at all.

Specifics of Additional Fundamental Structures
There are four temples on the property, one for Devi Bhagwati, one for Lord Ganesha, one for Lord Shiva, and one for Surya Devata. On the northern side lies the temple dedicated to the goddess Annapurna, and on the southern side is the Hanuman Temple.

The 14-meter-thick coating of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) used in the construction of the Ayodhya Ram Temple gives the structure the appearance of artificial rock.

There is now a 21-foot-tall granite platform that is shielded from ground dampness.”

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