Chandrakant Sompura is an Indian architect. He is the chief architect of the Ram Temple built in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Chandrakant Sompura was born in 1943 (age 80 years; as of 2023) in Gujarat, India. He was originally from a town named Palitana in Gujarat; However, his family moved to Ahmedabad in the 1960s due to work.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 8″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper (semi-bald)
Eye colour: black
Family
Chandrakant Sompura belongs to a family of architects. He is the 15th generation of the family. His grandfather, Prabhashankar Sompura, designed the renovated Somnath Temple in Prabhas Patan, Gujarat in 1949. Prabhashankar Sompura was a Padma Shri recipient. His family is also known for building the Akshardham temple complex in Gujarat, the Swaminarayan temple in Mumbai and the famous Birla temple in Kolkata.
parents and siblings
His father, Prabhakar Sompura, designed the Somnath Temple in Gujarat and the Krishna Janmasthan Temple in Mathura, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
wife and children
He is married to Shobha Sompura, an architect. They have two sons named Nikhil Sompura and Ashish Sompura. Both sons handle their father’s construction business.
Chandrakant Sompura with his family
Chandrakant Sompura’s sons, Nikhil (left) and Ashish (right)
livelihood
He has built more than 130 temples in India and abroad, including the Swami Narayan Temple in Gandhinagar, the Ambaji Temple in Palanpur, the Akshardham Temple in Ahmedabad and many other temples.
Ram temple construction
Nearly 32 years before the construction of the Ram temple, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, Ashok Singhal, approached Sompura through the Birla family in 1989–90 to prepare the design of the Ram temple. Sompura along with Ashok Singhal visited the site for the first time to assess the land. In an interview, while talking about his first visit to the temple site with Ashok Singhal, he said,
Mr. Ashok Singhal (former VHP leader) decided in 1988 that a temple should be built here and he approached GD Birla. Our family had been working with Mr. Birla for decades. So I got a call from Mr. Birla and he asked me to come to Delhi, go to Ayodhya with him and prepare the design for the temple. At that time we were not allowed to carry a measuring tape. I was told to just look around alone. It was very difficult for me to imagine a temple without proper measurements. So, I used my feet and counted the steps. I memorized all the steps – left to right, across, and repeated the design inside a large hall where I could take proper measurements.’
Chandrakant designed the Ram temple in 1989. Later, given the large scale of the project, Sompura and his sons, Ashish and Nikhil, enhanced the design of the temple. In November 2019, Sompura said that about 40 percent of the stone carving had been completed. He alleged that the construction will be done within 24 to 30 months of laying the foundation.
Chandrakant Sompura at Ram temple construction site
According to Sompura, the Ram temple built by him is the ‘world’s first temple’ which has undergone 3D structural analysis before construction, to ensure that it can withstand earthquakes of up to eight magnitude on the Richter scale . The consecration ceremony was held at the Ram temple on 22 January 2024.
#Watch , Ayodhya Ram temple beautifully illuminated after ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony pic.twitter.com/UrMFdEQUgQ
– ANI (@ANI) 22 January 2024
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- 2019: Bharat Gaurav Award
- 2021: Ram Janmabhoomi Shilpi Award
Facts/General Knowledge
- Chandrakant Sompura is considered one of the most influential temple architects of India. He has played an important role in reviving and preserving ancient Indian temple architecture and culture. He has also been a source of inspiration for many young architects and students, encouraging them to choose temple design as a career path.
- He had no formal training in architecture.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn