LUCKNOW: The Ayodhya administration has launched a massive cleanliness drive following the announcement of the groundbreaking ceremony of Ram temple on August 5, which is likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Centre-appointed temple trust has appealed to people to donate cash instead of jewellery for the construction work. Through online donations in the past four months, the trust has received around `6 crore in its two bank accounts in SBI branch, Ayodhya.
The Trust is sending acknowledgment receipts of donations along with a letter of appreciation to the donors. A team of 500 sanitary workers has been working round-the-clock to deck up the temple town. Main thoroughfares of Ayodhya are being 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 the PM. Officials who were involved in the management of Kumbh Mela last year have been deployed to look after every aspect of the grand function on August 5.
A team of BJP workers led by Ayodhya MLA Ved Prakash Gupta is reaching out to every household to make sure all houses in the temple town are decorated with lights and earthen lamps. Around 1.25 lakh lamps would be lit during the event.
Locals have been asked to decorate their houses with rangoli, and bandanwar (garlands made of flowers), decorative lights and earthen diyas for ‘bhoomi pujan’ day. Spiritual guru Morari Bapu has announced a donation of Rs 5 crore from his Vyaspeeth to Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust.
Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, a self-proclaimed descendent of the Mughals has offered a gold brick weighing 1 kg to the PM for the temple construction.
Trust general secretary Champat Rai has said the temple will be constructed through donations. “The Trust is not averse to taking donations from Muslims,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, successor-designate of chairman of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
A day after the Trust’s Ayodhya meeting, the UP chapter of Indian Bullions Association had donated silver bricks weighing 33 kg to the trust at a ceremony on July 2. The bricks would be used in the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony.
Sources said Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das has arranged a silver brick weighing 40 kg which would be placed in the sanctum of the proposed temple.
Security Blanket
Ayodhya is under high alert after central intelligence agencies warned of possible attempts by terror groups to disrupt and sabotage the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony. Residents of Ramkot locality are being issued passes for movement. Intense checking is going on in all the lodges, hotels and guesthouses in the temple town.