A seven-foot-tall statue of Hindu deity Ram brought from Karnataka is set to be installed at a museum in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, next week, IANS reported on Tuesday. Chief Minister Adityanath will unveil the statue on June 7 at the Shodh Sansthan in Ayodhya.

The statue is made of a single rosewood block and was purchased from the Cauvery Emporium in Karnataka for Rs 35 lakh, according to The Times of India. The statue was originally slated to be installed at the Kumbh mela venue in Prayagraj, but its delivery was delayed.

YP Singh, director of Shodh Sansthan in Ayodhya, told IANS that the museum had over 2,500 artefacts related to Ram and his life, but did not have any piece depicting Kodamb Ram, one of the five stages of Ram’s life. Kodamb Ram is worshipped in the south and depicts Ram’s life after Sita was kidnapped. Statues depicting this stage show Ram alone.

The early two stages of Ram’s life – Baal Ram and Raja Ram – are worshipped in northern regions of the country, while Dulha Ram is significant in Mithila region of Bihar. Dulha Ram statues depict Ram and Sita together. Banvasi Ram statues show Ram and his brother Laxman with Sita between them. They are relevant in Madhya Pradesh and other central India regions.

In November, Adityanath had confirmed the Uttar Pradesh government’s plan to build a 151-metre tall statue of Ram in Ayodhya.