Rs 900 crore spent on Ram temple construction till March 2023: Trust

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has spent Rs 900 crore on the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya between February 5, 2020 and March 31 this year, and still possesses Rs 3,000 crore in bank accounts, trust officials said on Saturday.

After a three-hour meeting of trust officials on Saturday morning, its secretary Champat Rai said 18 points were discussed, including the legal process to take donations in foreign currency, and that the trust has applied for the permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

"Rs 900 crore has been spent on the construction of 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," Rai said.

He said 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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and nearly 10,000 dignitaries from across the country are expected to attend the consecration (pran pratishtha) ceremony likely to be held on January 22.

The temple trust appealed to people across the country to light lamps in front of their houses after the 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, Rai said.

The rice ('Pujit Akshat') will be distributed in 500,000 villages from January 1 to 15.

A committee has been formed for the consecration ceremony, he said.

The temple will be completed in three phases by January 2025, Rai said.