Ayodhya, June 16 -- The world's costliest mango, the Japanese Miyazaki variety, popularly known as the "Egg of the Sun", was offered to Lord Ram at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya for the first time.

The rare mango, cultivated by a local farmer in Ayodhya, is valued between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh per kilogram in the international market. A single fruit is estimated to cost around Rs 1 lakh, making it one of the most expensive mango varieties in the world.

The offering was made on Monday to the deity in keeping with local traditions, with the fruit presented along with a Tulsi (holy basil) leaf.

The Miyazaki mango was cultivated by farmer Omprakash Singh, who planted the tree around two years ago to assess its suitability to Ayodhya's clim...