Garbh grih soil to be tested first, says Champat Rai

AYODHYA: Senior VHP leader Champat Rai who is also a member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust said here on Saturday that the soil of sanctum sanctorum (‘garbh grih’) would be tested before the construction of Ram temple begins in Ayodhya.
Three members of the trust, Rai, Dr Anil Mishra and Bimlendra Mishra, and Ayodhya DM Anuj Jha visited the Ram Janmabhoomi site on Saturday to review its condition. Speaking on behalf of the trust, VHP leader Champat Rai said: “We visited the premises after 28 years. There are bushes everywhere and the site is in a bad shape. We will have to level the land first.”
“We discussed the spot from where stones will be brought to the premises for construction work. Keeping security in view, idols of Ram Lalla will be shifted from sanctum sanctorum and installed at a place where devotees can offer prayers easily. The new structure for keeping the idols of Ram Lalla will be permanent,” Rai said.
He said security issues would be taken into account while going ahead with plans.
“We will try to ensure that devotees do not have to cover long distances to reach the temple and security is not compromised," he said.
Raid said one acre land would be required for the temple and 2.5 acres would be used for corridors.
“Before laying of foundation, the soil of sanctum sanctorum will be tested. Construction work may begin in April but not on Ram Navami as announced earlier by some leaders of temple movement,” he said, adding that no such activity could be carried out in the presence of about 20 lakh devotees.
“A meeting with architects and engineers will be organised before any construction work starts,” he said.
Reacting to the statement of the trust’s president Nritya Gopal Das that more land would be acquired for the temple, Anil Mishra said: “This is the wish of ‘Maharaj ji’. The construction committee will take final decision on the issue.”
After their visit, members of the trust held a meeting with deputy general manager of State Bank of India Prashant Kumar Das.
Senior VHP leader Triloki Nath Pandey, the decree holder (fast friend of Ram Lalla) mandated by the Supreme Court, said: “A four-lane road will be constructed from Naya Ghat to Ram Mandir. Old structures coming in way of the road will be removed.”