News Analysis India

Tag: Ram Temple

  • Vision document being prepared for Ayodhya, three consultancy firms on the job

    By PTI
    AYODHYA: The Ayodhya Development Authority has hired three consultants to draft a vision document for the Uttar Pradesh city, which has grand plans for itself as a Ram temple comes up.

    Sources said the Prime Minister’s Office is likely to be shown the vision document, on which the three firms are working since mid-February.

    Ayodhya Development Authority vice-chairman Vishal Singh said the document will also take into account the inputs from about 500 people.

    LEA Associates South Asia Private Ltd, L&T and Kukreja Architects were picked to finalise the vision, implementation strategy and an integrated infrastructure plan for the city, Singh told PTI.

    Lea Associates was involved in drafting the Tirupati Master Plan and Kukreja Architects in planning the Malaysian transit corridor, he said.

    The state government had begun the process of selecting consultants on December 26 by publishing a request for proposals.

    The Uttar Pradesh government had set up a bid evaluation committee under the chairmanship of Deepak Kumar, principal secretary for housing and urban planning, to pick the consultants from a short list of those which met the qualification criteria.

    The selected consultancy firms will conduct a survey, identify stakeholders and hold comprehensive discussions, the vice-chairman said.

    National and international case studies will be taken into account.

    They will draw up the document on Ayodhya’s development keeping the Ram Mandir and the city’s religious character in view.

    The document will deal with aspects like town planning, infrastructure development, transport, traffic, finance and tourism, according to the official.

    It will also include the development of places linked to seers in adjoining districts.

    The Yogi Adityanath government has already announced several projects in Ayodhya city and the district, which will be completed as the construction of the Ram temple continues.

    In its November 2019 judgment on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the construction of the temple.

    Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the “bhoomi pujan” ceremony marking the beginning of construction.

    Following the SC judgment, the administration has allotted an alternative site in the district for a mosque.

    The Babri mosque was demolished in December 1992 by kar sevaks, insisting that it was built at the site where a Hindu temple once stood.

  • RSS workers collected Rs 57 crore in Vidarbha for Ram temple

    By PTI
    NAGPUR: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers have collected funds worth Rs 57 crore from 27 lakh families in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

    RSS’s Vidarbha ‘prant karyavah’ Dipak Tamshettiwar told this in a press conference here on Wednesday.

    “During the recently-concluded special donation campaign for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, 70,796 RSS volunteers, including 7,512 women, visited 12,310 villages and 27,67,991 families in Vidarbha and collected Rs 57 crore,” he said.

    There are 11 districts in Vidarbha region- Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Buldhana, Washim, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Gadchiroli and Gondia.

    A total of 20,64,622 volunteers, including 80,424 women, visited as many as 5,45,737 villages and 12,42,21,214 families in the country for the Ram temple donation drive, he said.

    However, he said that he did not have any information about the total amount collected under the drive across the country.

    Tamshettiwar also said that Dattatreya Hosabale, who was recently elected as the ‘sar karyavah’ (general secretary) of the RSS, would start working from Nagpur, the Sangh’s headquarters, in a few months time.

    Hosabale was elected to the post during the annual meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the Sangh’s highest decision-making body, held in Bengaluru.

    “The base camp of Hosabale is Lucknow and RSS pracharaks keep moving across the country.

    Considering Hosabale’s schedule as decided before became the ‘sar karyavah’, Hosabale may come to Nagpur in next two to three months,” he said in response to a query.

  • Removed from RSS-run school for refusing to donate for Ram temple, alleges teacher

    By PTI
    BALLIA (UP): A teacher here has alleged that he was removed from an RSS-run school after he refused to donate Rs 1,000 for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a charge denied by the institution.

    Yashwant Pratap Singh, who worked as an “acharya” (teacher) at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Jagdishpur localilty, also claimed that the school has withheld his eight months’ salary.

    Singh said he was given a receipt book for the collection of funds for the temple.

    He deposited around Rs 80,000 collected for it, he said.

    Singh claimed that he was pressured to donate Rs 1,000 for the temple when the district “pracharak” of the Rasthriya Swyamsewak Sangh (RSS), Satyendra, came to the school.

    When he refused, the school authorities “misbehaved” and removed him from the school, Singh alleged, adding that he has given a written complaint in this regard at the district magistrate’s office.

    Singh said he will approach a court if justice is not done to him.

    Meanwhile, school principal Dhirendra said all employees were given receipt books for the collection of funds as per their capacity.

    “Singh also took three receipt books willingly but later did not deposit them. He himself resigned,” he said, denying the allegations.

  • Rs 515 crore collected in Rajasthan for building Ayodhya Ram temple: VHP vice president

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) vice president Champat Rai on Sunday said Rajasthan has contributed the highest Rs 515 crore for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

    A nationwide campaign was run for 42 days from January 15 to collect funds for the building of the temple and Rs 2,500 had been collected till March 4, he said at a press conference.

    The idea of using Mirzapur stones for the plinth of the temple and stones from Jodhpur for its rampart is being considered, he said, adding, stones from Banshi Paharpur in Bharatpur district will also be used in the temple.

    The grand Ram temple will be 161 feet high from the ground floor, 361 feet long and 235 feet wide.

    Three floors will be built, each 20 feet high, the VHP vice president said, adding the temple will have 160 pillars.

  • UP govt allows foreign countries to construct guest houses for pilgrims visiting Ayodhya

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Responding to the applications from over a dozen foreign countries to construct their guest houses in Ayodhya, the Yogi Adityanath government has allowed nations with large Hindu populations to build their properties in the temple town to give a push to international religious tourism and put Ayodhya on the global tourism map.

    About a dozen foreign countries have approached the state government showing their willingness to construct their guest houses in Ayodhya – the birthplace of Lord Rama and his abode. The countries which have applied with the proposal include Sri Lanka, Canada, Nepal, Suriname, Fiji, Kenya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Thailand and Korea.

    Notably, this concept is already there in Kushinagar which is a major destination of pilgrimage for the followers of Gautam Buddha. Most of the countries having their guest houses in Kushinagar are from the East Asian region. China, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand are the prominent ones. In Kushinagar, Gautam Buddha had accomplished complete salvation (mahaparinirvaan).

    According to Ayodhya Municipal Commissioner Vishal Singh, 12 acres of land have already been earmarked for the purpose of building guest houses for visitors from foreign countries. “Any country can apply. We will make land available to them,” said the officer.

    With almost all the states of the country wanting to build their guest houses also to facilitate the stay of pilgrims, about 1200 acres of land is being acquired in Barheta, Shahnawaz Pur Maza, and Tihura Majha villages adjoining Ayodhya to develop a grand New Ayodhya city.

    The UP Awas Vikas Nigam has already issued notification for the acquisition of land in these three villages. Besides residential colonies, the New Ayodhya City will have five-star hotels, dharamshalas, muths, ashrams, Hindu temples of different states and guest houses and temples of foreign countries ensuring the holistic development of the temple town as one of the most prominent global destinations of religious tourism.

    The New Ayodhya is being developed by the Yogi Adityanath government on the lines of Kushinagar to boost international religious tourism by building a Lord Rama Circuit and connecting it with Chitrakoot and other places visited by Lord Rama.

  • Ayodhya temple: Trust buys adjoining land for Rs 1 crore to expand Ram Janmabhoomi complex

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: In order to expand the Ram temple complex, the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Tuesday bought a 676.85 sq metre land adjoining the 70-acre Ram Janmabhoomi premises in Ayodhya. The temple trust bought the land for Rs 1 crore to expand the complex area to a sprawling 107 acres.

    As per local sources, the temple trust general secretary Champat Rai bought the piece of land from its owner Swami Deepnarayan for Rs 1 crore. The registry of the land was done on Tuesday. The land is next to the famous Asharfi Bhawan.

    BJP’s Gosainganj MLA IP Tiwari and temple trust member and RSS Ayodhya Pracharak Dr Anil Mishra were the witnesses who signed the registry papers for the land deal, said the sources.

    Tuesday’s land purchase was part of the trust’s plan to buy lands and old houses adjoining the boundary of the temple complex to expand its area.

    It may be recalled that the design approved by the trust for the grand temple envisages the complex in an area sprawling over 107 acres instead of the 70 acres which the trust got after the November 9, 2019 Supreme Court verdict resolving the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque title suit.

    A senior trust member said that it was being done to bring uniformity in the temple complex boundary and execute plans for the expansion of the grand Ram Lala temple.

    As per the plan, the main temple of Lord Ram with the sanctum sanctorum would be constructed in an area of only 5 acres but the trust requires a total of 107 acres of land to construct other structures of the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Complex. The other structures include a museum, library, Yajnashala, picture gallery depicting different episodes of Lord Rama’s life etc.

    The trust office-bearers have already identified lands and houses in Ramkot area to be bought for the temple complex and started holding dialogues with their owners.

    The trust has already collected over Rs 2100 crores during its 44-day Samarpan Nidhi Abhiyan which had commenced on January 15 and concluded on February 27.

    Audit of the collected funds is being done and trust members expect that the final amount of donations may well cross over Rs 2500 crore.

    Now the temple trust is contemplating to go global with Samarpan Nidhi Abhiyan so that Ram Bhakts living abroad may also contribute towards temple construction and an adequate amount could be collected to carry out its ambitious expansion plans.

  • With Rs 2,100 crore in its kitty, Ram temple trust now mulling to launch global donation drive

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The Ayodhya Ram temple trust is contemplating a global drive to collect donations after the ‘Samarpan Nidhi Abhiyan’ run by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) volunteers concluded on February 27 with a collection of over Rs 2,100 crore.

    According to Mahant Govind Dev Giri, the treasurer of the trust, a lot of requests were pouring in from Ram Bhakts living abroad to launch a global drive for collecting donations.

    Giri said that a decision in this connection would be taken by the trust at a meeting of the trustees shortly. “Members will discuss modalities and protocol related to RBI, Finance Ministry, I-T regulations and clearances, to be followed for launching the ‘Samarpan Nidhi Abhiyan’ globally,” said one of the trustees.

    The sources claimed that the trust had already deputed an expert to study the subject of global funding and laws and regulations involved to avoid any potential controversy.

    In September last year, Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust had applied for the central government’s permission to accept foreign donations as devotees from abroad had started sending donations for the temple to the Trust after PM Narendra Modi had performed the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ on August 5, 2020, said a trust member.

    It is to be recalled that the construction cost of the temple has been revised and pegged at Rs 1,500 after changes in its foundation designs. The Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said that more funds will be required for the expansion of the 70 acres temple complex.

    However, some other trustees did not rule out the re-launch of the donation drive if the need arose as that the budget for the temple was not final yet. The cost of the temple is bound to increase given its grandeur, magnificent look, and solid structure planned by the trust and engineers engaged in the project.

    “The extra funds may be used to renovate and give a grand look to other surrounding temples related to Lord Ram Lala in Ayodhya. The trust will ensure that not a penny donated by Ram Bhakts is wasted,” said the senior member.

    Meanwhile, Iqbal Ansari, son of late Hashim Ansari, one of the oldest litigants of Ram Janamabhoomi- Babri mosque dispute, also donated for the temple construction through Gupt Daan (secret donation). Ayodhya-based Ansari donated an unknown sum on behalf of his late father, wife, son, daughter, and himself.

    “The temple of Lord Ram will certainly consolidate unity and integrity. It will add a new chapter in the country’s cultural and secular fabric,” said Ansari refusing to divulge the amount he and his family donated.

  • Make people aware of fraudulent elements taking money in Ram’s name: Uddhav Thackeray

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has taken a veiled swipe at the BJP, saying Shiv Sena workers should make people aware about “fraudulent elements” who are collecting money in the name of Lord Ram.

    Thackeray, who heads the Sena, was addressing party legislators and functionaries on Tuesday.

    The Shiv Sena will conduct a ‘Shiv Sampark’ campaign from February 22 to 27 to reach out to people across the state to expand its base, Thackeray was quoted as saying by a close aide.

    “Some people are collecting money in Lord Ram’s name. Shiv Sena workers should make people aware of such fraudulent elements,” he said, apparently targeting the BJP, his party’s former ally, over the campaign for collection of funds for the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

    When common people face problems, they turn to the Sena, Thackeray said, adding that this relationship between the party and the people must be nurtured.

    Party workers should tell people about the Sena-led coalition government’s achievements and convey people’s aspirations and expectations to the government, the chief minister said.

    The Sena is in power in Maharashtra in alliance with the Congress and the NCP.

  • Ayodhya Ram temple donations cross Rs 1,500 crore: Trust

    Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: The Ayodhya Ram temple trust has received more than Rs 1,500 crore as donations in the first 27 days. 

    The drive to collect Samarpan Nidhi was launched on January 15 and so far, Rs 1,511 crore has been collected, said Swami Govind Dev Giri, treasurer of Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

    To collect the funds, the VHP and RSS had set up over 150 teams of volunteers. They have been collecting funds through the receipt coupons of Rs 10, Rs 100, and Rs 1,000 printed by the temple trust.

    As per Swami Govind Dev Giri, people from all communities and age generously donated to the fundraising campaign. “Children have donated from their piggy banks and people such as labourers, beggars, vendors, rickshaw pullers have made the donations to the best of their capability. From east to west and north to south, people of all castes, creed, and religion have made donations,” said Swami Govind Dev Giri.

    He added that the Samarpan Nidhi was being deposited in the temple trust accounts at State Bank Of India, Bank of Baroda, and Punjab National Bank, by over 37,000 volunteers deputed as depositors. “The activists are bringing the donations collected from remote villages and depositing the same in the trust’s bank accounts. The trust had got over 13 crore coupons of Rs 10, Rs 100 and Rs 1,000 printed before commencing the drive. But the coupons have exhausted in many states,” said Swami Govind Dev Giri.

    New coupons are being printed. New coupons were also printed during the drive at a few cities including Mumbai and Hyderabad. “People from north-eastern states including Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim have also participated in the drive and have come forward to donate large sums,” said Dev Giri.

    The fundraising drive would end on February 27. After that, people can deposit the donation money in trust-authorized accounts in three nationalized banks including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, and Punjab National.

    Meanwhile, trust general secretary Champat Rai said so far the foundation for the temple had been dug five-meter deep. The 16 ft deep debris was removed from the level of sanctum sanctorum where PM Narendra Modi had performed Bhoomi Pujan on August 5, 2020, he added. 

  • Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra received donations of 1,511 crore so far

    By ANI
    SURAT: An amount of Rs 1,511 crore has been deposited in the account of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust constituted to look after the construction and management of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, said trust treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri on Friday.

    “For the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the whole nation is donating funds. We aim to reach 4 lakh villages and 11 crore families across the country during our donation drive. We are conducting the donation drive from January 15 and it will continue till Feb 27. I am here in Surat as part of the drive. People are contributing to the trust. After 492 years, people have got such an opportunity again to do something for the Dharma,” Giri told ANI.

    “Till now, Rs 1,511 has been deposited in the account of Trust for the construction of Ram Mandir,” he added.

    Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust is conducting a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya, which began on January 15 and will go on till February 27.

    On November 9, 2019, a five-judge of the Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said that the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres will be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram Temple at the site.

    In February 202, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

    On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the bhoomi pujan for the construction of Ram Temple.