LUCKNOW: The trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet in Ayodhya on March 16, as the construction work of the Ram temple is being expedited to meet the April 15 deadline.
The meeting will be held at the Maniram Chhavani temple, and temple trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das will preside over it.
Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai, treasurer Govind Dev Giri, members Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, Swami Vishwaprasann Tirtha and Dr Anil Mishra, temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra, central and state government representatives, and district officials are expected to attend the meeting.
The last meeting of the temple trust took place in November last year, during which discussions were held over the donations received and the expenses incurred on the Ram temple’s construction.
However, the sources claimed that deliberations that will take place on March 16 will review the status of the upcoming temple’s second and third floors, the construction of other shrines on the premises, public facilities, as well as the donations and the expenditures.
In the meeting, deliberation will also be held over key decisions regarding the Ram Navami celebrations.
Significantly, the first floor of the temple was completed last year, and it was marked by the consecration of the child form of Lord Ram in sanctum sanctorum on January 22, 2024.
Meanwhile, amid delays, the Ram Mandir Construction Committee had expedited the construction works on the temples planned on Ram Janmabhoomi premises and complete them before the end of its tenure.
As per the committee’s chairman, Nripendra Misra, there is a delay of three months in the construction work of the Ram Mandir.
“The temple’s ‘parkota’ will be completed by September,” Misra had told media persons during his visit to the temple town last week.
He had attributed the delay in construction to Holi as many workers visited their home towns.About 20,000 cubic feet of stone is yet to be laid in the temple.
He had added that the construction work of the temple (main temple complex) was likely to be completed by April. Apprising about the challenges, Misra had said that approximately 20 acres of land would be beautified to remain in tune with nature.
Over 1.25 crore devotees visited the Ram temple during 45 days of Mahakumbh. The count was tracked using AI and door metal detectors. Devotees also contributed donations of around Rs 15 lakh daily.
The influx of devotees began on Makar Sankranti and continued unabated till Maha Shivratri.
From January 26 onwards, on average of around 10 to 12 lakh devotees thronged the temple town.
However, the tenure of the Ram Mandir Construction Committee, which was constituted on the directives of the Supreme Court, will end by December this year.
“The construction of ‘sapth mandir’ on Ram Janmabhoomi premises will be completed in April and the idols will be installed with Vedic rituals in all temples. The date for the consecration ceremony will be finalised by the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust,” said Misra.
While the Ram Mandir Construction Committee makes all decisions related to the construction work, the temple trust makes decisions regarding the management of the temple.
Notably, the Ram Mandir is constructed over a 2.77-acre plot. The Ram Janmabhoomi premises is spread across a cavernous 70-acre area, comprising, at least seven other temples, a 732-meter-long circumambulation path known as a ‘parkota’, greenery and a bevy of smaller shrines.
The temples of Hindu saints, including Valmiki, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Agastya, along with Nishadraj and Ahilya, are coming up in the complex.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its length (east-west) is 380 feet; width is 250 feet and height is 161 feet; and is supported by a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors.