Ram temple trust members to meet on July 18 in Ayodhya

Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust will meet here on July 18 to discuss the way forward of temple construction and the date for 'bhoomi pujan' (land worship). An invitation has been sent to all the members of the trust.

"The trust meeting has been called in Ayodhya on July 18. Right now stones which have gathered moss are being cleaned," the trust general secretary Champat Rai said.

He said there is no discussion among the saints on the issue of increasing the height of the temple. "I have met 200 saints and seers in the last 15 days," he said.

He said the work of lining is being done on the levelled land. The line disappears due to rains. Now the temple site is being demarcated with pegs. The L&T company is doing this work. He said that any statement on the start of temple construction and 'Bhoomi Pujan' in the month of Shrawan is just imaginary. No decision has been taken yet, he said.

Ashish Sompura, son of Chandrakant Sompura, the chief architecture of the Ram temple model has taken the charge of the technical work. He oversaw the workshop. He said, "The stones have been lying here for a long time. They have turned black and are being cleaned to shine."

Talking about increasing the height of the temple, Sompura said, "It will be decided in the trust meeting. But the old stones will be used. The stones will be coated so that they do not lose shine. Some stones have degraded and will be changed. The life of these stones is about 1,000 years."

The Ram Lalla idol was shifted in a temporary structure near Manas Bhawan in March this year.

The Supreme Court in November last year had directed the central government to hand over the site at Ayodhya for the construction of the Ram temple and set up a trust for this.