The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Saturday announced that it will build a memorial inside the Ram temple complex to “honour those who lost their lives during the centuries-long movement for the Ram temple”. The decision was taken at a meeting of the trust chaired by Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.
In a statement shared on X, the trust said a new temple will be constructed at the site where Lord Ram Lalla and his brothers were seated before the pran pratishtha ceremony. Next to this temple, a memorial will be built in “memory of the people who sacrificed their lives for the Ram temple movement”.
“The Trust has decided that at the place where Lord Shri Ram Lalla along with his younger brothers resided before the pran pratishtha, a temple is being constructed, and nearby a memorial will be built in remembrance of the martyrs who gave their lives in the temple movement,” the trust said.
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Trust members said the memorial will honour saints, seers, kar sevaks and ordinary devotees who remained connected with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement over the last 500 years. VHP chief Alok Kumar also confirmed that the memorial will not be limited to kar sevaks alone but will include everyone who contributed to the struggle or lost their lives during this long period.
Along with the memorial, the trust has also finalised programmes to mark Pratishtha Dwadashi, the second anniversary of the pran pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla. The celebrations will be held on December 31 at Angad Tila. As part of the programme, a Ram Katha will be organised, along with mandal puja and continuous recitation of the Ramcharitmanas at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple from December 27 to 31.
Cultural events will also be held during this period. Bhajan evenings will feature well-known singers Anup Jalota, Suresh Wadkar and Tripti Shakya. A Kathak dance drama, other cultural performances, and a poets’ meet praising Lord Ram are also planned.
The trust further announced that around 400 workers who took part in the construction of the Ram temple will be honoured at a special programme on March 19, marking the Hindu New Year.
Speaking earlier during the flag hoisting ceremony that marked the completion of the Ram temple, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that countless people had made sacrifices for the temple over centuries and that their souls must have found peace with the temple’s completion. He recalled the contributions of saints, students and people from all walks of life who dedicated their lives to the cause.
VHP leaders said there had long been a demand to remember those who were part of the Ram temple movement, and with the temple now built, the trust felt it was the right time to construct a memorial. They also said that other facilities for devotees, including residences for seers, trust offices, an auditorium and a museum, may be developed in the temple premises in the future.
