LUCKNOW: With Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the construction of Ram temple just a week away, donations from various quarters have already started pouring in.
After the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony to be attended by PM Narendra Modi on August 5, the temple construction would start. Meanwhile, as part of preparations for Bhoomi Pujan event, a team of 500 sanitary workers has been deployed to deck up the temple town.
While spiritual guru and story narrator (Katha vachak) Morari Bapu has announced a donation of Rs 5 crore from his Vyaspeeth to Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, a self-proclaimed descendent of Mughals, has offered a gold brick weighing one kg to the PM towards temple construction.
Morari Bapu had announced the donation during an online spiritual talk on Monday and appealed to his followers to contribute voluntarily.
However, the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has already made it clear that it was open to receive donations from anyone who wanted to contribute towards the temple construction. In its last meeting in Ayodhya, the trust general secretary Champat Rai had made it clear that the temple would be constructed through the donations.
“The Trust is not averse to taking donations from Muslims if they are willing to donate,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, successor designate of chairman of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
A day after the Trusts’ Ayodhya meeting, the UP chapter of the Indian Bullions Association had donated 33 kg sliver brick to the Trust in a simple ceremony in Ayodhya on July 21, 2020. The silver bricks will be used in Bhoomi Pujan.
As per the key sources, even trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das has got a silver brick weighing 40 kg prepared and it would be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the proposed Ram temple during the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony by the PM.
Politicians have also started donating money for the Ram Mandir. UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, who visited Ayodhya to take stock of the preparedness recently, donated Rs 6.60 lakh.
Earlier on March 25 while relocating the idol of Lord Ram from the makeshift temple to his new temporary bullet-proof pre-fabricated fibre abode on Ram Janmabhoomi premises, UP CM Yogi Adityanath had donated Rs 11 lakh to the Trust.
Moreover, Mahavir Mandir Trust of Patna has also announced a donation of Rs 10 crore for the cause with installments of Rs 2 crore to be paid every year as per the instructions of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust. The first installment has already been paid towards the cause.
Besides, the devotees are also donating gold and silver to the Trust. Hyderabad-based jeweller K Srinivas has donated a one-kg gold brick and a five-kg silver.
The trust has appealed to the donors to give cash as it would be ready to use in the construction work.
Through online donations in the past four months, the Trust has received around Rs 6 crore in its two bank accounts in State Bank of India, the main branch, Ayodhya. The Trust is also sending acknowledgment receipt of donations along with ‘thanks letter’ by post to donors.
The VHP has planned to launch a campaign in the days to come to connect with 10 crore families across the country and collect donations ranging from Re 1 to Rs 10 from each family for the Ram Mandir.
Over 500 Sanitary workers deployed
A team of 500 sanitary workers has been deployed in the temple town to deck up the temple city.
Walls in the main streets of Ayodhya have been decorated with graffiti and paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayan.
According to Ayodhya Mayor Rishikesh Updadhyaya, ward-wise meetings are being conducted to make Ayodhya ready to welcome PM Narendra Modi on August 5.
Those, who were involved in the management of Kumbh Mela in 2019, have been deployed to take care of every small thing during the August 5 event.
A separate team of BJP workers led by Ayodhya MLA Ved Prakash Gupta is trying to reach out to every household to make sure all houses in temple town are decked up with lights and earthen diyas for two days from August 4. Around 1.25 lakh earthen lamps would be lit to bring the temple town to life during the event.
Locals have been asked to decorate their houses with rangoli, bandanwar (a garland made of flowers), decorative lights, and earthen diyas on August 4, 5 for the Bhoomi Pujan, said Gupta.