Ram Temple trust out of space to store silver bricks
The campaign to collect donations for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is underway, but the temple trust is now facing unprecedented challenges. The members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra, which is raising donations for the temple, have appealed to the donors not to send more silver bricks as their bank lockers have run out of space to store them.
400 kg silver bricks donated so far
More than 400 kilograms of silver bricks have already been donated for the temple construction, ThePrint reports. "People from all across the country are sending silver bricks for use in the construction of the temple. We now have way too many silver bricks that we have to think hard about how to keep them in safe storage," Dr. Anil Mishra, a trust member, said.
All our bank lockers are full, says trust member
"We fully respect the sentiments of Lord Ram's devotees, but it is our humble request that they should not send any more silver bricks. We will also have to spend a lot of money to safely store them (sic)," Mishra further told the publication.
Meanwhile, cash donations cross Rs. 1,600 crore mark
People associated with the trust told the publication that cash worth over Rs. 1,600 crore has been received thus far. The donation campaign, dubbed 'Nidhi Sankalp Sangrah,' aims to reach out to more than 12 crore families in over five lakh villages, and is scheduled to continue until February 27. 1.5 lakh groups are involved in the fund-raising drive, the report adds.
Digging work in progress at temple premises
Meanwhile, the digging process is underway at the temple complex's premises, and the soil excavation exercise has been completed up to a depth of about 9 meters. The entire digging and excavation process will be wrapped up within a period of 70 days. And, the entire temple will be ready within the next 39 months, Champat Rai, the trust's General Secretary, had earlier said.
Kumaraswamy alleges lack of transparency in donation drive
In relation to the temple construction and the ensuing donation drive, HD Kumaraswamy, the former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Janata Dal Secular leader, recently made controversial comments, drawing widespread attention. He said he had been "threatened" and called himself a "victim," alleging a lack of transparency and accountability in the campaign. He had also allegedly compared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to the Nazis.
