New Delhi: In a move reminiscent of the shiladaan in the 1990s, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has now requested all Hindus across India to donate copper wires and copper rods for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Champat Rai, general secretary of the trust, said the temple would be constructed in such a way that it would stand for at least 1,000 years.
“The stone that will be used in the construction will be such that air, sun and water decay will not happen for at least 1,000 years. The construction company L&T has got the best people; IIT Chennai has been consulted for testing the strength of the soil; and the Central Building Research Institute will make sure the building is earthquake-resistant,” Rai told reporters in New Delhi Wednesday.
Rai said the donated copper is expected to give the temple more durability.
“We will need copper strips and rods for the construction. To begin with, we will need 10,000 strips and rods. The strip should be 18 inches long, 3 mm thick and 30 mm wide. This would be a clear proof of India’s contribution to the temple construction,” he said.
He added that the Ram Mandir will be constructed using only stone, and no iron at all. Construction will take at least 36-40 months.
“Mandir will be made of stone and plain concreting will be done. Drawings are still being finalised and so are the carvings.”
Also read: Modi redefined secularism with Ram Mandir as Hindu voters were fed up of Sonia-Left version
Muslim contributions welcome
Asked whether the trust will accept donations from people of all religions, Rai said: “Hindu, Musalmaan, koi bhi kar sakta hai. It is online, so how can we tell who is donating? Everyone can donate.”
The trust has also not applied for FCRA approval yet, and so it can’t accept donations from abroad.
He also said the trust was criticised for inviting Muslim individuals to the bhoomi pujan ceremony. “Some people were also disinclined towards calling Muslims. We do not care about this. We called three Muslims. Mohammad Sharif is a person who cremates people for free and has cremated about 10,000 people, so we invited him,” he explained.
Praise for Yogi’s UP govt
Rai, also vice-president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, praised the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for carrying out development work in Ayodhya, saying it was unprecedented.
He said before the lockdown, around two crore people used to come to Ayodhya every year, and once the Covid-19 pandemic is over, that number will only increase. “We are happy with the infrastructure that is being built by the government, whether it is the increase in the number of buses or trains,” Rai said.
Unlike other construction projects, the trust has also decided that no view-cutter would be put up, and people coming to Ayodhya from across the country will be able to see the construction once it starts.
“We are planning to have a system in place wherein people will be able to view the construction. People put view-cutters probably to save it from evil eye, but this is a temple and no evil eye can affect it. Everyone coming to Ayodhya will be able to see the construction,” he added.
Invitation controversy
Rai also addressed the controversy over invitations to the bhoomi pujan ceremony in Ayodhya on 5 August, saying they had started planning the ceremony in June.
“We were of the view that the day PM comes to Ayodhya will itself be an auspicious day, just like any day when you work for Lord Ram, it is an auspicious day. So, we didn’t pay attention to any criticism,” he said.
Rai said a total of 184 people were invited for the bhoomi pujan, but senior leaders like L.K. Advani were asked not to come, keeping age and their health in mind.
“Advani ji is our pitamah (grandfather). We know what is good for his health. How did you people start worrying about him more than us?” he asked.
Also read: ‘Secularists & distorians’, not Muslims, scared of real history — RSS editorial on Ram Mandir