Trust behind the Temple

SET UP IN FEBRUARY 2020 BY THE Union Government on the directions of the Supreme Court, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is responsible for the construction and management of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The Trust was awarded the disputed 2.77-acre land as well as the 67.703-acre land acquired under the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993, as per the top court’s verdict in November 2019 and it lost no time in starting work.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed Bhoomi Pujan and laid the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020 and the first phase of the construction of the temple is now complete and ready for consecration.

15-member Trust

The Trust has 15 members, of which nine are permanent and six nominated. The permanent members include four religious leaders from various temples across the country, a representative from the Nirmohi Akhara and two prominent citizens from Ayodhya district.

The nominated members include two prominent persons to be elected by the Trust through majority resolution, one nominee of the Central Government who has to be an IAS officer above the level of Joint Secretary and an IAS officer from the state Government. The District Magistrate of Ayodhya and the Chairman of the Construction Committee to be selected by the Trust Board were be the ex-officio trustees.

Senior Supreme Court Advocate K Parasaran, who represented Shri Ram Lalla Virajmaan in the top court, was the founder trustee. He was tasked to nominate the remaining three members.

The first meeting

On February 19, 2020, the first meeting of the Trust, held at the residence of Parasaran, elected Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas’ chief, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das Maharaj as the Chairman and VHP VicePresident Champat Rai as the General Secretary. Former IAS officer and Principal Secretary, Nripendra Mishra was nominated as the Chairman of the Construction Committee. Currently, Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj is the Treasurer and K Parasaran is the Senior Spokesperson of the Trust.

Of the 15, only 11 trustees have the voting rights. The two officers appointed by the state and the Central Government – District Collector of Ayodhya and the representative of Nirmohi Akhara – have no voting rights.

There is no political representation in the Trust; however, the Vishva Hindu Parishad has a dominant representation. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, former head of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas that was formed by the VHP earlier, heads the Trust. VHP Vice-President Champat Rai is its General Secretary.

Sompura family

Significantly, the original design for Ram Mandir was devised in 1988 by the Sompura family of Ahmedabad, which has contributed to the design of over 100 temples worldwide for at least 15 generations. These include the famous Somnath Temple, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

A new design, with some changes from the original, was prepared by the Sompuras in 2020 as per the Vastu Shastra and the Shilpa Shastras. It is designed in the Nagara style architecture, found primarily in northern India. A model of the proposed temple was showcased during the Prayag Kumbh Mela in 2019.

Everyone chipped in

RICH and poor, people at top and those in small villages; everyone contributed for the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. The Temple Trust launched a nationwide ‘mass contact and contribution campaign’ aimed at reaching 55–600 million people. Voluntary donations of Rs 1 and above higher were accepted.

According to an official of the Trust, the temple project has garnered donations exceeding Rs 5,500 crore thus far, with contributions still pouring in.

On January 1, 2021, former President Ram Nath Kovind made the first contribution by donating more than Rs 5 lakh.

As per the information available on the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust website, renowned spiritual guru Morari Bapu made the highest donation of Rs 11.3 crore. Morari Bapu’s followers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have also collectively donated an additional Rs 8 crore.

Across age-groups

However, majority of the contributors are small donors. Contributions were made to the fundraising campaign by individuals across various communities and age-groups.

Even children contributed from their piggy banks, while individuals with occupations such as labourers, beggars, vendors and rickshaw-pullers donated according to their capacity.

The coupon started at Rs 10, Rs 100 and upwards, and a majority that donated were in the range of Rs 100 to Rs 1,000. These were given to volunteers who contacted 400,000 villages and from each village, the amount came in. This is a unique example of how private contribution has led to a public cause of this scale.

A national project

Wasim Rizvi, former Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board, publicly announced his contribution of Rs 51,000 towards the construction of the temple.

The contributions received from across regions and religions not only reflected the importance of the temple for many but also showcased the unity and solidarity of the Indian populace. Individuals across India viewed the construction of the Ram Temple not merely as a religious undertaking but as a national project.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Members

MAHANT NRITYA GOPAL DAS Born in 1938, he has been associated with Ram Janmabhoomi Movement for decades and has actively contributed to the development of Ayodhya’s temples

K PARASARAN A Senior Advocate and Founder Trustee Member of the Trust, he advocated the Ram Janmabhoomi case in court and played a crucial role in the its decision

NRIPENDRA MISRA He has served as the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. With a distinguished career in the IAS, Mishra has been honoured with Padma Bhushan

CHAMPAT RAI He is the VicePresident of VHP and currently serves as the General Secretary of the Trust. Hailing from Bijnor, he has been an influential leader and campaigner

ANIL KUMAR MISHRA He has been involved in the Ram Temple movement since 1981. With a career spanning four decades, he has contributed significantly to both healthcare and socio-religious causes

GOVINDA GIRI MAHARAJ He is a linguist, proficient in Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi, English, and Gujarati. Founder of Bal Sanskar Kendras in 16 states, he brings diverse skills to the Trust

GYANESH KUMAR Senior IAS officer and Secretary in the Ministry of Cooperation, he has served in crucial roles at both the state and Central levels

KAMESHWAR CHAUPAL A member representing the Dalit community, Kameshwar Chaupal, known for the slogan ‘Ram with Roti’, has been an integral part of the Trust

MAHANT DINENDRA DAS Having joined Nirmohi Akhada at a young age, he rose through the ranks to become the Abbot of the Arena after the passing of Mahant Bhaskar Das

SWAMI VASHUDEVANAND A disciple of Lord Shantanand Maharaj of Jyotish Peeth, his expertise in history and the Indian Constitution was evident in his advocacy in Sabarimala Temple case

SWAMI PARAMANAND GIRI JI MAHARAJ A member of the Guiding Board of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, he has been actively involved in the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement since its inception

VISHWAPRASANNA SWAMIJI The 35th Guru of Pejawar Math in Udupi, Karnataka, he played a significant role in the promotion of dualism in Hindu philosophy

VIMALENDRA MOHAN PRATAP MISHRA A member of the Ayodhya Raj Pariwar, he is affectionately known as Pappu Bhaiya. He holds a significant position in Ayodhya’s cultural and social fabric

AWANISH KUMAR AWASTHI He is a retired IAS officer of the UP cadre. Chief advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he has held key administrative positions in various districts

NITISH KUMAR A 2010 batch IAS officer, Nitish Kumar is the ex-officio member of the trust. Kumar took over as DM of Ayodhya district on October 23, 2021.