Prime Minister Narendra Modi is most likely to lay the foundation stone of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5, say sources.
The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had on Saturday given the PM two auspicious dates for the ‘bhumi poojan’ as per the Hindu calendar - either August 3 or August 5- to pick from. The prime minister is said to have picked August 5.
“Official intimation in this regard is awaited. After PM’s nod, invitation letters would be prepared and sent out to people,” said VHP leader Sharad Sharma.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Home minister Amit Shah, Defence minister Rajnath Singh, the Shankaracharyas and VHP leaders are likely to be among the 100 plus dignitaries who will attend the ritual.
When asked whether BJP stalwarts L K Advani, M M Joshi and Uma Bharti, who led the Ram Temple movement in the nineties and are still embroiled in court cases, would be invited for the occasion, Sharma merely said, “The trust is yet to finalise the list of the attendees.”
The three veteran leaders are accused of instigating the demolition of Babri mosque on December 6, 1992. At present, they are appearing in court cases via video conferencing. The president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, and VHP leader and trustee Champat Rai are also accused in the same case.
The 161-feet-high two-storey temple on the 67-acre premises would be the tallest temple in the world, it is claimed.
While the PM would be the main jajman of the pooja, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, would sit next to him. “Vedic scholars from Kashi and Ayodhya who belong to Ramanan Sampraday would perform the rituals,” Sharma said.
Trust officials explained that all rules laid down by the administration, including diminished numbers and social distancing would be followed.
“Prasad (food served to God and distributed among others) would be prepared in Sita Rasoi (believed to be the ancient kitchen of wife of Lord Ram) and we hope that PM would have prasad here,” said Sharma.
With the loosening of lockdown, the temple trust had met in Ayodhya on Saturday and sent the dates to PM Modi.
The construction will commence soon after the foundation stone-laying ceremony. It will be completed in 3 to 3.5 years – that is, by 2023.
“The trust would contact 10 crore families across 4 lakh localities in the country for fund collection post Monsoon”, VHP official and trustee Champat Rai said.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) will prepare the basic structure and Gujarat firm Sompura Marbles would do the marble and stone work.
