Ayodhya Ram temple: Rs 900 crore on the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya between February 5, 2020, and March 31 this year has been spent, and the trust has Rs 3,000 crore balance in bank accounts, said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust officials said on Saturday.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust secretary Champat Rai said 18 points, including the legal process to take donations in foreign currency, were discussed in a three-hour meeting held in Ayodhya.
The trust has applied for permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, he added.
The trust secretary said, “Rs 900 crore has been spent on the construction of the temple from February 5, 2020, to March 31, 2023, and more than Rs 3,000 crore still remain in the bank accounts of the trust.”
The Ram Katha Museum located on the banks of the Saryu river will be a legal trust and 500 years of history of Ram Mandir and 50 years of legal documents will be kept there, he added.
Rai said the temple trust appealed to people across the country to light lamps in front of their houses after sunset on the day of the consecration ceremony.
“Before the consecration ceremony, rice will be worshipped in front of Lord Ram and then it will be distributed all over India. The rice (‘Pujit Akshat’) will be distributed in five lakh villages from January 1 to 15. A committee has been formed for the consecration ceremony,” he elaborated.
The consecration (pran pratishtha) ceremony is likely to be held on January 22, 2024, which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and nearly 10,000 dignitaries from across the country.
The temple will be completed in three phases by January 2025, Rai said.
(With PTI inputs)