Ram temple fund crosses Rs 1500 crores

Rs 1,511 crore has so far been raised for the Ram temple in Ayodhya through the campaign started last month, a treasurer of the trust overseeing the construction of the shrine told ETV Bharat.

Surat (Gujarat): Over Rs 1,500 crore have so far been received as donations for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the trust's treasurer said on Friday.

Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Nyas, said that Rs 1,511 crore in donations were received till the evening of February 11.

Though the trust had earlier said that the construction cost of the project would exceed Rs 1100 crore, the treasurer said that the figure is not fixed, as the trust is trying to acquire land from the surroundings of the original plot.

He said that the project will meet global standards, and informed that the temple will be built in two phases.

Further, the treasurer also said that the idol of Ram Lalla will be installed with three-and-a-half years, even if the temple is not completely constructed by then.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi had performed the bhoomi pujan to begin the construction of the temple on August 5 last year.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has mandated the VHP to collect funds for the temple's construction.

On January 15, the trust started a month-long mass contact and contribution campaign across the country for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), part of the RSS-led ideological family, was at the forefront of the Ram Mandir construction movement.

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