Washington:

A replica of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir would be on display during the India Day parade in New York on August 18, which attracts thousands of Indian Americans from in and around New York.

The replica of the temple would be 18 feet long, nine feet wide and eight feet in height, according to Amitabh Mittal, general secretary of Vishva Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA). This would be the first time that a replica of the Ram Mandir would be on display in the United States.

The annual India Day Parade in New York is the largest celebration of India’s Independence Day outside India. More than 150,000 people normally watch the annual parade which runs from East 38th Street to East 27th Street in Midtown New York.

Organised by Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), the parade will see scores of floats representing various Indian American communities and a diversity of culture running through the streets of New York.

The VHPA-A recently organised a Ram Mandir Rath Yatra that visited 851 temples in 48 States over 60 days.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ayodhya:

Water was leaking from the roof of the sanctum sanctorum at the Ram temple after the first heavy showers since it was opened to the public, its chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said on Monday.

Alleging negligence in the construction of the temple, Acharya Das claimed that there was also no arrangement for the drainage of rainwater from the temple premises after the showers on Saturday midnight and urged the temple authorities to take necessary corrective measures.

After the senior officials were informed about the incident of water leaking from the roof, the chairman of the temple construction committee, Nripendra Mishra, reached the temple and gave instructions to repair the roof and make them waterproof, temple trust sources said.

Speaking separately to reporters about the progress of temple construction, Mr Mishra said that work on the first floor was on and will be finished by July this year, and expressed the hope that the construction of the temple will be completed by December.

Acharya Satyendra Das told reporters there was heavy leakage from the roof of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum in the first heavy showers that occurred at midnight on Saturday. Rainwater was leaking from the roof directly above the place where the priest sits in front of Ram Lalla’s idol and where people come for VIP darshan, he said.

“It is very surprising that engineers from all over the country are building the Ram temple. The temple was inaugurated on January 22. But, no one knew that if it rains, the roof will leak. It is surprising that the roof of a world-famous temple is leaking. Why did this happen?” “Such an incident is happening in the presence of such big engineers, which is very wrong,” he said.

Meanwhile, rains on Saturday night caused severe waterlogging on the Rampath road and its adjoining laneshere. While sewer water entered houses in the area, the Rampath road and other newly constructed roads in Ayodhya caved in at some places.

There was waterlogging from Jalwanpura to Hanumangarhi Bhaktipath and from Tedhi Bazaar to the inner areas, locals said.

Reacting to the sewer water entering houses in the lanes of Rampath during the rain, Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi said, “I have started damage control since morning. I have deployed several teams of the municipality to remove water from the houses.” However, attempts to seek the response of top officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) did not fructify.

Meanwhile, the Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in corruption in the temple construction and building of civic facilities in the temple town.

“Be it the coffin of the martyrs or the temple of God, all these have become opportunities for corruption for the BJP. Even the symbols of faith and purity in the country are just opportunities of loot for them,” Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai alleged in a statement on Monday.

“It has become clear from the statement of chief priest Satyendra Das that water is leaking in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple built at a cost of crores due to the first rain and there is no proper drainage system,” he said.

Rai said, “Not only this, the mask of the BJP, which was beating the drum of development of Ayodhya, has come off with the road collapsing at many places on the Rampath built at a cost of Rs 624 crore.” He alleged that the BJP has made Ayodhya a “hub of corruption by getting second-rate construction done in a hurry only to gain electoral benefits”.

“The BJP has only done injustice to the people there by not giving them proper compensation,” he alleged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ayodhya:

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan visited the Ram temple here on Wednesday and bowed before the deity.

Kerala Raj Bhawan, in a post on X, said the governor visited the Ram Temple and had a darshan.

“I came to Ayodhya twice in January. The feeling at that time is the same even today. I have come to Ayodhya many times. It is not just a matter of happiness for us, instead it is a matter of pride, that coming to Ayodhya and worshipping Shriram,” the governor told reporters.

Hon’ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan at Prabhu Shri Ram Temple Ayodhya: PRO KeralaRajBhavan pic.twitter.com/wCzZCSirLt

— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) May 8, 2024

In a video posted on the official X handle of the Kerala Governor showing Mr Khan bowing before the idol of Ram Lalla, the chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ could be heard in the background.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate a Ram Mandir-themed Durga Puja Pandal at Santosh Mitra Square in north Kolkata on October 16.

This unique pandal, organized by the Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee, is modelled after the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Kolkata and inaugurate this Durga Puja pandal.

According to BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, the inauguration ceremony is set to take place at 4 PM in the Santosh Mitra Square Puja. This particular Durga Puja is also known as Sajay Ghosh’s Puja. The theme for this year’s celebration is the Ram Temple, inspired by the ongoing construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The pandal at Santosh Mitra Square has been beautifully decorated.

It’s worth mentioning that Amit Shah previously inaugurated Puja pandals during the 2021 Assembly elections in Kolkata. The BJP itself organized Durga Puja celebrations in Bengal during that time, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually present for the inauguration.

Ayodhya, UP:

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has spent Rs 900 crore on the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya between February 5, 2020 and March 31 this year, and still possesses Rs 3,000 crore in bank accounts, trust officials said on Saturday.

After a three-hour meeting of trust officials on Saturday morning, its secretary Champat Rai said 18 points were discussed, including the legal process to take donations in foreign currency, and that the trust has applied for the permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

“Rs 900 crore has been spent on the construction of temple from February 5, 2020 to March 31, 2023, and more than Rs 3,000 crore still remain in the bank accounts of the trust,” Champat Rai said.

He said the Ram Katha Museum located on the banks of the Saryu river will be a legal trust and 500 years of history of Ram Mandir and 50 years of legal documents will be kept there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and nearly 10,000 dignitaries from across the country are expected to attend the consecration (pran pratishtha) ceremony likely to be held on January 22.

The temple trust appealed to people across the country to light lamps in front of their houses after the sunset on the day of the consecration ceremony.

Before the consecration ceremony, rice will be worshipped in front of Lord Ram and then it will be distributed all over India, Mr Rai said.

The rice (‘Pujit Akshat’) will be distributed in five lakh villages from January 1 to 15.

A committee has been formed for the consecration ceremony, he said.

The temple will be completed in three phases by January 2025, Champat Rai said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)