Office bearers of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra and senior government officials at Shri Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya.
The work to fill the foundation for construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya commenced with Vaidic Pujan at Shri Ram Janmbhoomi on Monday. According to details available, the 13,000 sq ft foundation will be filled with more than 50 layers of cohesive material to raise the foundation to 25 ft above the ground level.
A special pooja was organised here on Monday which was attended by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra's secretary Champat Rai, trustee Anil Mishra, Ayodhya DIG Deepak Kumar and DM Anuj Kumar Jha.
"Today, in the auspicious time of the morning, at the site of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, with Vedic worship, the work of filling the foundation for the construction of Shri Ram Temple has started," the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra said in a tweet.
Rai informed that the construction of the foundation will be completed by August and then the actual construction of the temple will begin. “We are very much within our schedule. If all goes well, Lord Ram temple will be ready by 2023,” he said.
According to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a donation of 25,000 million (Rs 2,500 crore) has been collected for the construction of Ram Mandir.
"Based on banks' receipts till February 4, 25,000 million has been collected during donation drive for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya," the outfit said in a statement.
Prior to the crowdfunding campaign launch on January 15, the Trust had projected an estimate of Rs 1,100 crore for the Ram temple complex construction.
Earlier this month, the Trust purchased a 7,285 square feet land adjacent to the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, in accordance with its plan to expand the temple complex area to 107 acres from the present 70 acres. It paid Rs 1 crore for the 7,285 square feet land to its owner at a rate of Rs 1,373 per square foot. The temple is expected to be completed by 2024.
READ MORE: First extension of Ram Janmabhoomi premises; trust purchases 7,285-sq.ft land for Rs 1 Cr
READ MORE: Ram Temple construction crowd-funding drive collects over Rs 2,500 crore
