News Analysis India

Tag: Ram Temple

  • Ayodhya trust invites 200 seers from across the country to watch Ram temple construction

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent letters to seers across the nation to come to Ayodhya and watch the progress of the temple construction on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises.

    As per highly placed sources, around 200 seers and saints of different Hindu sects have been extended a special invitation by the temple trust requesting them to come to Ayodhya and observe the making of the grand Ram temple.

    The trust in Ayodhya is preparing to make adequate arrangements to give access to seers from across India so that they can view the construction of the temple.

    In the invitation letter, a request has been made to seers to come to Ayodhya and offer worship in the court of Ramlala, take the blessings of the deity and take stock of the preparations for the construction of the Ram temple. The trust has also invited suggestions from the seers regarding the construction of the temple.

    ALSO READ: Ayodhya to feature on world tourist map; airport, bullet train from Delhi being fast-tracked

    Earlier, the trust had suggested to carve out a gallery for Ram devotees to watch the progress of the temple construction and become a part of its history.

    Later, for common devotees, the ‘Ram Jharokha’ (window having access to the construction site) has been carved out to make the devotees watch the process of construction of the Ram temple on the Ram Janmbhoomi premises.

    Prakash Gupta, who is in charge at the camp office of the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said an estimated 200 letters were sent, but there may be many more. Those who have contributed to the temple movement or who had been it part would now also be part of the process of construction of temple.

    Temple trust member Dr Anil Mishra confirmed that the letters were despatched to seers all over India with the signature of Ram Mandir Trust Secretary Champat Rai.

  • Kalyan Singh: Hindutva icon under whose watch Babri Masjid fell in1992

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The defining moment in Kalyan Singh’s life was the fall of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

    Just hours after mobs of kar sevaks demolished it, Singh quit as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh owning moral responsibility.

    Not that he had any regrets over his “failure” to save the mosque which he had assured the Supreme Court would be protected.

    “Maybe it was destined that the structure would be demolished with me as chief minister,” he told a newspaper ahead of the 2020 “bhoomi pujan” for the Ram temple, now being built at the once disputed site in Ayodhya after a historic Supreme Court verdict.

    “Had there been no demolition, probably the courts too would have ordered status quo,” he said then.

    And his last wish, he said, was to live till the temple comes up.

    Singh, a Hindutva icon and a Bharatiya Janata Party veteran, died at a Lucknow hospital on Saturday.

    He was 89.

    Hailed by many for his administrative acumen during his two stints as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, the influential backward caste leader from western UP parted ways twice with the BJP and has briefly also floated his own outfits.

    His second parting was in 2009, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, when he said he felt “humiliated” by the party and complained that he had hardly any say in the selection of candidates in his state.

    Singh said it was a “political blunder” to have rejoined the BJP, which he had left the first time n 1999, only to return in 2004 before the General Election.

    Born on January 5, 1932, Kalyan Singh first became an MLA in 1967.

    Since then, he won the assembly polls several times, held important posts in the BJP and was appointed Rajasthan Governor in the last phase of his public life.

    Soon after his Raj Bhavan term ended in 2019, Singh formally rejoined the BJP as a primary member, signalling that he was not keen on retiring from political life just yet.

    Back in 1991, he became the first BJP chief minister of the country’s most populous state.

    A little over a year later, the Babri Masjid was demolished as the Sangh Parivar campaign to build the temple at the same spot picked momentum.

    As UP’s chief minister, Singh had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, assuring that the 16th century mosque will be protected.

    But he had also ordered police not to open fire at protesters, arguing later that any such action would have led to much bloodshed.

    Admitting failure to protect the mosque, he resigned the same evening.

    The state assembly was dissolved as riots erupted at several places in the country.

    In the next assembly elections in November 1993, he contested from two seats —- Atrauli and Kasganj — and won both.

    A Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine formed the government in the state under Mulayam Singh Yadav, even though the BJP won the largest number of seats.

    Singh was Leader of the Opposition in the UP Assembly.

    He got his second shot at the top post in September 1997, becoming CM again under a six-month rotation formula with the Bahujan Samaj Party.

    The arrangement collapsed soon with the BSP withdrawing support.

    But, backed by a group of disgruntled opposition members, his government survived.

    A controversial order by Governor Romesh Bhandari dismissing his government was also stayed by the high court.

    But a section of BJP MLAs was gunning for him.

    One reason for the dissent was the alleged interference in the state government by Lucknow corporator Kusum Rai, who was also said to control access to the chief minister.

    As opposition within the BJP mounted, Kalyan Singh was removed from the CM’s post by the party high command in November 1999.

    Later, he was also formally expelled from the party over remarks targeting the party’s top leadership.

    Singh appeared to cosy up with Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who offered a ticket to his son Rajvir Singh.

    In 2010, he also floated the Jan Kranti Party, but let his son head it – till it “merged” with the BJP.

    All these years, the Babri Masjid demolition case trial dragged on.

    Singh enjoyed immunity from trial as he held a gubernatorial post.

    After demitting office as Rajasthan Governor, he appeared before the CBI court which pronounced its order in September 2020, acquitting him and 31 others accused of conspiracy to demolish the mosque.

    The judge concluded that there was no evidence to show that the demolition was pre-planned.

    He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences here on the evening of July 4 due to an infection and reduced consciousness levels.

    Before being shifted to the PGI, the former chief minister was undergoing treatment at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences here.

  • August 5 will be remembered for abrogation of Article 370, decisions on Ram Mandir: PM Modi

    By Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi iterated the importance of August 5 saying that it would go down the annals of history as a day of so many achievements.

    “Two years ago on this day, Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, on this day, Indians took the first genuine step towards the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya by performing bhoomi pujan and laying the foundation stone. Now the construction of the temple is going on in full swing and the dream of Indians is taking shape,” elaborated the PM  while interacting with beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana in Uttar Pradesh via a video link on Thursday.

    Crediting UP CM Yogi Adityanath with proper implementation of central schemes in UP like never before, the PM said it was a matter of immense satisfaction that every grain sent to the state reached the beneficiaries. “The way Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is being implemented in the state defines the new Uttar Pradesh,” he added.

    Speaking about the development prospects of UP, the PM attacked those who used to project Uttar Pradesh as a backward state. “For so many years, UP has been viewed from a political prism. Its prospects of playing a vital role in a nation’s development would never even be discussed. But state’s potential has been promoted only in the last few years,” added the PM.

    He also acknowledged UP’s record in the fight against the Covid pandemic as the only state to have vaccinated over 5 crore people. “UP has become the first state to administer over 5 crore population with vaccine doses. This shows how people belied the misconceptions about the ‘Made in India’ vaccine and took the shots,” said PM Modi.

    ALSO READ | Centre’s action of revoking Article 370 only complicated J&K dispute further: Hurriyat

    The PM grabbed the opportunity to take on the opposition for the ongoing stalemate in the Parliament over Pegasus row. He expressed his anguish but congratulated the Indian hockey team for its bronze feat at Tokyo by saying that while a few people were busy creating “self-goals, the country celebrated hockey goals” in the Tokyo Olympics.

    He took a dig at the Opposition for the chaos in Parliament by saying that they were “trying to do everything to stop the progress of this country”.

    “On one hand, when the country is celebrating goals in hockey, here in the country, few people are doing everything to stop the progress of this country. They are trying to stop Parliament, but people will not tolerate this,” PM Modi said.

    The PM said: “130 crore population of this country will face every challenge and move forward. despite all obstacles”. He claimed that negative people could not stop the country’s growth.

    Taking an indirect jibe at the Congress party, the PM said that new India was gaining global recognition not through ranks but by winning medals. “It has been proved that progress is decided by hard work and not family.”

    PM  Modi counted the achievements of his government responding to the opposition’s diatribe saying the country was moving forward despite all odds. “They (opposition) must-see country’s growth trajectory – vaccination to touch 50 crore-figure and see our GST collection in the month of July. This is showing how the economy is moving in a positive direction. INS Vikrant trial is another aspect of Made in India concept. The first motorable road is operational in Ladakh,” PM Modi said. 

  • Ram Temple to open for devotees by end of 2023, before Lok Sabha polls

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya will be opened to devotees by the end of December 2023, sources in the Ram Temple Trust said on Wednesday.The opening of the sanctum sanctorum will take place once the idols of Ram Lalla and brothers are shifted to their final abode.

    However, the construction of the entire temple complex is expected to complete only by the end of 2025, said the highly-placed sources.At present, the idols are resting inside a makeshift temple made of bullet-proof optical fiber inside the Ram Janmabhoomi premises. 

    As per sources in the temple trust, the ongoing work at the foundation of the temple is likely to be completed by October, this year. After that, the second phase of the work is set to start in November around the time of Diwali.The opening of the temple in December 2023 is significant as it comes months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    “It is expected that the work on the foundation of the proposed temple will finish by October. All engineers and labourers involved in this work are safe & healthy,” the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had said in a tweet last month.

    The general secretary of the Temple Trust Champat Rai said the work is progressing round-the-clock in two shifts to ensure that the temple is constructed at the earliest and the pandemic does not impact the work. The temple is being built by the trust with the money collected through donations. Volunteers have collected more than `2,100 crore from 11 crore people.

  • Ayodhya Ram temple to open for devotees by December 2023

    By Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The wait of devotees for the opening of the sanctum sanctorum of Ram temple in Ayodhya may end by December 2023. The opening of the sanctum sanctorum will take place with the shifting of the idols of Ram Lalla and brothers to their final abode. 

    However, the construction of the temple complex is likely to be completed by the end of 2025, said the highly-placed sources here on Wednesday.

    At present, the idols are resting in a bulletproof makeshift temple of optic fibre on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises. They were shifted to the new arrangement from their abode under a tent in March last year.

    As per the temple trust, the ongoing work on the foundation of the temple is likely to be completed by October, this year. After that, the second phase of the work may commence in November around Diwali.

    Though this news has been reiterated by the sources on the eve of the bhoomi pujan anniversary of the temple which was performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had also laid a 40 kg silver brick foundation stone to formally start the construction of a temple in Ayodhya at a grand ceremony on August 5, 2020.

    ALSO READ | PM says Ayodhya should manifest finest of our traditions, developmental transformations

    However, the temple trust general secretary Champat Rai had made a similar announcement around mid–July after the 15-member trust held a two-day-long meeting with engineers and architects to decide on a date for the mega project to see the end of the tunnel. The meeting was chaired by trust chief Nripendra Misra in Ayodhya.

    “It is expected that the work on the foundation of the proposed temple will finish by October. All engineers and labourers involved in this work are safe & healthy,” the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had said in a tweet last month.

    Temple trust general secretary Champat Rai had added that the work was going on in two shifts round-the-clock in order to ensure that the temple was constructed at the earliest and the pandemic had not impacted the work.

    Construction companies Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Balaji Construction and Tata Consultants Engineers in the role of consultant are working on the project, while Chandrakant Sompura is the architect.

    In the construction of the temple, sandstone from UP’s Mirzapur and Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, marble from Rajasthan’s Makrana, and pink stone from Rajasthan’s Bansi Paharpur is being used. The temple is being built by the trust through the money collected by donations.

    Around nine lakh volunteers visited 11 crore people across 4 lakh villages in the country to collect the money for the temple construction. After a 44-day funds collection drive, around Rs 2100 crore was collected towards the temple construction.

  • CM Yogi likely to visit Ayodhya on first anniversary of Ram temple bhoomi pujan

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Bhoomi Pujan for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, UP CM Yogi Adityanath is likely to visit the temple town on Thursday.

    The CM is expected to take part in the special puja and other rituals reportedly planned by the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The trust members claimed that it would be a low-key affair with all Covid-19 protocols in place.

    Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come down to the temple town to lay the foundation stone of the Ram temple at the Janmabhoomi premises last year on August 5.

    ALSO READ | CM Yogi Adityanath reviews preparedness against possible COVID third wave in Ayodhya

    As per state government sources, the CM, besides having the darshan of Ram Lalla, would take stock of the progress in temple construction. He would also distribute free ration to the beneficiaries of Anna Mahotsava (grain festival) in Ayodhya.

    Sources in the temple town suggested that a special puja will also be organised at the spot where Prime Minister Modi had performed the bhoomi pujan last year on August 5. A special ‘havan’ and ‘kalash sthapana’ is likely to be organised by the trust members to mark the occasion.

    At present, experts involved in the construction of the temple are filling a large area with concrete after the removal of debris. The process, which commenced in March, is expected to be completed by October.

    The sources claimed that around 40-45 layers of concrete has to be filled to ensure the firming up of the ground where the temple is set to come up. So far, around 20 layers have been filled. 

  • Ayodhya land deal row: BJP, RSS have made Ram temple a ‘business’, says SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar

    By PTI
    BALLIA: Backing the demand for a central agency probe into the alleged corruption in the purchase of land for the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Monday said the BJP and the RSS have made the shrine a “medium of business”.

    He also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when action will be taken against the accused.

    Rajbhar’s remarks came a day after the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai bought 1.208 hectares of land in Ayodhya’s Bag Bjaisi village worth Rs 2 crore at an inflated price of Rs 18.5 crore for the Ram temple with the help of trust member Anil Mishra.

    Terming it a case of money laundering, SP leader Pawan Pandey and AAP leader Sanjay Singh sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the matter.

    ALSO READ: AAP and Samajwadi Party allege corruption worth crores by Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust members

    Rai strongly refuted the allegations.

    Speaking to reporters here in Rasra, Rajbhar said, “The temple is a symbol of faith for common people but the BJP and the RSS have made it a medium of business.”

    The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief claimed the said piece of land was purchased for Rs 2 crore on March 18 for the construction of Ram temple and five minutes later, it was bought by the Ram Mandir Trust for Rs 18.50 crore.

    The SBSP leader also sought a probe by the CBI and the ED into the “scandal”.

    Targeting Modi and Adityanath, Rajbhar, a former BJP ally, said, “Both the leaders claim zero tolerance (for corruption). Modi ji and Yogi ji should make it clear as to when a case will be registered against the trustee of the Ram Mandir Trust and when the accused persons will be sent to jail.”

    “The sentiments of crores of devotees have been hurt by this scandal,” he said.

    The SBSP chief also claimed that BJP president J P Nadda had called him a few days ago but he refused to speak to him.

    In a statement issued on Sunday, Rai had said, “Allegations of assassinating Mahatma Gandhi were also levelled against us. We do not fear allegations. I will study the allegations levelled against us and probe them.”

  • Rajasthan govt to begin e-auction to mine sandstone to be used for Ram temple

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government will soon begin an online auction of a special pink sandstone variety, much sought after by builders including those constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya, found in the Bansi Paharpur area of Bharatpur.

    A state government official Monday said putting the mining blocks on auction became possible after the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment gave an in-principle approval for converting 398 hectares of Bandh Baretha Wildlife Sanctuary land for mining sandstone.

    About 70 mining blocks will be developed in the area soon for mining of the pink sandstone which is expected to generate a revenue of Rs 500 crore for the state government, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Mines and Petroleum Subodh Agrawal said.

    It would enable legal mining in the area and sandstone would be made available for Ram temple in Ayodhya through legal channels, he said.

    Mining was officially banned in the area in 2016 but illegal operations continued and the Bansi Paharpur’s pink sandstone was available in the grey market.

    The special pink sandstone is much sought after by builders including those constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

    The Dholpur variant of the stone is said to be no match to the Bansi Paharpur stone.

    ALSO READ | Ayodhya land deal row: BJP, RSS have made Ram temple a ‘business’, says SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar

    Agrawal said that due to the tireless efforts of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Bansi Paharpur mining area has been marked out of Wildlife Sanctuary area in March last year.

    He said the permission for diversion of 398 hectare area of Bansi Paharpur area was issued by the Union Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate on June 11.

    The ACS said that with the commencement of legal mining activities in this area, thousands of people will get direct and indirect employment.

    At the state level, the proposal to allow the mining special sandstone was cleared by a standing committee of the Rajasthan Wildlife Board in February, Authorities in the Congress-run Rajasthan had then denied that the move had anything to do with the Ram temple specifically.

    But Vishva Hindu Parishad leader in Ayodhya Triloki Nath Pandey had approved of reports that this ‘technical problem’ is now being sorted out.

    Thousands of tonnes of the pink sandstone mined in Bansi Paharpur have been sourced for the temple over the years, but much more is needed, he had said.

    There were concerns in Ayodhya that supplies of this stone with a unique pink hue would dry up.

    The supply of the stone took a hit after the Bharatpur administration seized 25 trucks loaded with illegally mined pink sandstone last September.

  • Donations for Ram temple: About 15,000 collected bank cheques bounce

    By PTI
    AYODHYA: About 15,000 bank cheques with a face value of Rs 22 crore, collected by the Vishva Hindu Parishad for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, have bounced.

    According to an audit report of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, a trust set up by the Centre for the construction of the temple, said the cheques bounced due to lack of funds in bank accounts or some technical error.

    Trust member Dr Anil Mishra said banks are working to solve the issue of technical errors and they are asking people to make donations again. Among the cheques, around 2,000 were collected from Ayodhya.

    The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) had collected donations during a countrywide campaign between January 15 and February 17.

    Around Rs 5,000 crore was collected during the drive though the final figures are yet to be declared by the trust.

  • As filling work of Ram temple foundation begins, trust distributes holy soil to devotees

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: With the filling work on the foundation of proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya having commenced after completing the digging and excavation work, the Ramjanambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has now decided to distribute ‘Ram Rajkarn’ (holy soil of the foundation of the under-construction temple) to devotees visiting Ayodhya to pay obeisance at makeshift Lord Ram Lala temple on Janmbahoomi premises.

    However, the filling of the first layer is likely to finish in 10 to 14 days, said sources. The trust has packed ‘Ram Rajkarn’ in small boxes and anyone who approaches the trust office can take it free of cost and carry it home after offering prayers at the temple.

    The in-charge of trust office Sriprakash Gupta said that a decision to this effect was taken after a large number of devotees demanded the holy soil of the temple to carry back home for religious purposes.

    Hundreds of tons of holy soil was removed during the digging for the foundation of the grand Ram Lala temple in 2.77 acres of land in Ayodhya. Instead of throwing away the holy soil, the trust had stored it at its workshop in Ramsevakpuram for future use.

    ALSO READ | Vision document being prepared for Ayodhya, three consultancy firms on the job

    According to Gupta, Ram Rajkaran is a gesture for hundreds of people who had laid their lives and millions of Ram Bhakts who participated in the Ramjanmabhumi liberation movement and devotees who donated huge sums for the construction of the grand Lord Ram Lala temple in Ayodhya.

    He said that Rajkarn had significance in Hindu religion. Rajkaran from the birthplace of any God is considered to be the holiest among all. It is due to this reason Ram Bhakts wanted to carry the holy soil for offering prayers to Lord Ram Lala’s birthplace in Ayodhya to their homes.

    Meanwhile, as per the temple trust sources, around 15,000 cheques worth around Rs 22 crore of donation amount were bounced when sent for clearance. The SBI, BoB, and PNB authorities are sending these cheques back to those who issued them to release new cheques of the amount donated.

    Majority of these cheques were bounced due to amount discrepancies in words and figures. Some were issued from old checkbooks and others carry overwriting and wrong account numbers. A few of them bounced due to insufficient funds also.

    Earlier on Friday, temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Misra reached Ayodhya. He met the officials of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) on Saturday and took details on the construction work at the Ram Janambhhoomi site. The meetings will resume on Sunday and Misra is expected to meet the experts of Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services who are involved in creating a vision document for the development of Ayodhya town.