Padma Shri recognition of my work, my family's legacy: Ayodhya Ram Temple architect Sompura

The Ahmedabad-based architect of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Sunday said the Centre's decision to award the Padma Shri to him was a recognition of his work. Chandrakant Sompura, from a long line of temple architects, is among the eight persons from Gujarat whose names were announced for Padma awards on Saturday.

"It is a recognition of my work and dedication with which my family has contributed to temple design through generations. The Padma Shri is very special to me. Our family has been dedicated to temple architecture for several generations," said the 81-year-old architect.

Sompura said he has designed several famous temples in India and abroad, including the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar, various Shaktipeeths, like the one at Ambaji in Gujarat, as well as Swaminarayan temple in London, apart from works in Singapore and USA. Sompura said he has been involved with the Ram Temple project since 1980. "We designed the temple in the past, and re-designed it when its size expanded," he said, adding he is also involved in designing seven other smaller temples, such as those of Shabri and Nishadraj, in Ayodhya.


Work on these are underway, he added. In a note on his website, Sompura said the assignment of planning and designing of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya "is a great opportunity to exhibit the worth of our family wedded to temple architecture not just for livelihood but charisma of life time achievement".

As per his website, he has so far completed or worked on 131 temple projects. Incidentally, in 1973, his grandfather Prabhashankar Sompura was awarded the Padma Shri. He was a known practitioner of the Nagara style of architecture and was entrusted with the planning and construction of the renowned Somnath Temple by Vallabhbhai Patel soon after Independence. Apart from Sompura, those on the Padma list from Gujarat are Ahmedabad-based Kumudini Lakhia, an eminent Kathak exponent who has been given the Padma Vibhushan, and industrialist Pankaj Patel, who has been awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Other awardees are Suresh Soni, the founder of Sabarkantha-based Sahyog Trust that works for leprosy patients; litterateurs Chandrakant Sheth and Tushar Shukla, Lavji Parmar, who has worked to preserve the 700-year-old Tangalia weaving art, and artist Ratan Parimoo, a former dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Baroda-based MSU.