Donation of Rs 3,300 crore received so far for the Shriram Mandir in Ayodhya
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Nagpur – “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keen on employing a technique so that Sun rays fall on the forehead of Prabhu Shriram Lalla Idol at midday on the day of Shriramnavami. Accordingly, a 51-inch Balswaroop Idol of Shriram has been sculpted. The time when Sun rays touch the forehead will henceforth be celebrated as ‘Ramatilak Mahotsav’. Thus far, domestic donations totalling Rs 3,300 crore have been received for the Shriram Mandir. Out of this amount, Rs 1,400 crore have been utilised for the construction of the temple, leaving Rs 2,900 crore still available. Not a single Rupee was donated from abroad because the trust was prohibited from receiving donations from abroad under the ‘Foreign Contribution Regulation’ i.e. FCRA Act. Now the permission has been granted. Therefore, Shriram devotees residing abroad can also donate”, informed Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, Treasurer of Shriram Janmabhoomi Trust in Ayodhya in an interview given to the media here. This interview has been featured on the website of ‘Divya Marathi’. The exchange of questions and answers that occurred during the interview is presented below.
Question: What is the reason for selecting 22nd January as the date for installing the Idol of Shriram ?
Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj: Dhanurmas extends till Makarsankranti. Installation cannot be done during that time. Therefore, we sought a muhurta after Sankranti. The Magh Mela in Prayag commences on 25th January, with Saints from Ayodhya staying there for a month. We selected 22nd January as an auspicious muhurta just before the Mela, falling between the 15th and 25th of January. We consulted seven eminent astrologers across the country, and the consensus among them led to the selection of 22nd January as the installation date.
Question: What about Shriram Mandir being connected with the upcoming elections ?
Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj: People tend to think out of habit, and we prefer not to delve into that. The struggle for the liberation of the Shriram Mandir has spanned centuries. For more than 70 years Shriram Lalla has lived in a tent. We wanted to build a grand Shriram Mandir for Him. That resolution is now fulfilled but this has nothing to do with politics.
Question: From where and in what amounts did you receive the smallest and largest donations ?
Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj: We will not differentiate like that. Everyone is contributing according to their means, and donations continue to pour in. The range of donation amounts varies from Rs 100 to Rs 300 crore. Although some donations exceeding Rs 300 crore were offered, we chose to decline them. Notably, all contributions are received through cheques and demand drafts. In addition to monetary donations, certain devotees are also donating items such as gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, jewellery, and clothing. A formal receipt is issued for both monetary contributions and material donations, ensuring complete transparency in all transactions.
Question: What exactly will Shriram Idol be like ?
Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj: The sanctum sanctorum will have an Idol of 5-year-old Balswaroop Shriram. A total of 3 Idols are being sculpted. Only one of them will be installed. If there are any defects in the stone while making the Idol, then a problem will arise. For that reason, the option of 3 Idols has been kept.