The Union home ministry has granted approval to the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra to accept contributions from foreign sources for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In a statement made on Wednesday, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Champat Rai, announced, “The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has been approved by the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) department of the ministry of home affairs, Government of India, to receive voluntary contributions under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act 2010.”
He further explained, “The FCRA section of the ministry of home affairs, the Government of India, has registered the trust ‘Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra’ to accept voluntary contributions from foreign sources. Kindly note that such contributions can be sent to only the designated account at State Bank of India, Main Branch, situated at 11 Sansad Marg, New Delhi.”
The construction of the ground floor of the three-storeyed Ram temple in Ayodhya is on schedule for completion by the end of December. The consecration ceremony is anticipated to take place on January 22, as confirmed by temple construction committee chairperson Nripendra Mishra in a recent statement to PTI.
Mishra also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate in an event related to the ‘pran pratishtha’ (breathing of life) between January 20 and 24. The final date for this event is yet to be communicated by the prime minister’s office.
The overall cost for the construction of the entire Ram Mandir complex is projected to range from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 crore, with the temple itself estimated to cost Rs 550 crore. So far, the temple trust has received Rs 3,200 crore through contributions and donations. Misra, who leads the trust, emphasized that the trust has not received any funding from the government.
