PM’s Ayodhya itinerary for ‘bhoomi pujan’ being finalised

AYODHYA: The broad contours of temple construction and the security blueprint of Ramjanmabhoomi, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ayodhya schedule for bhoomi pujan is being chalked out at the four-day brainstorming session at Faizabad Circuit House with PM’s former principal secretary and chairman of temple construction committee, Nripendra Mishra, camping in Ayodhya with Temple Trust members since Wednesday. However, there’s no official word on the PM’s visit.
The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred Trust members to seek an early ‘bhoomi pujan’ (foundation-laying ceremony) and this was reiterated in a letter to the prime minister by Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das this week. A tentative Ayodhya itinerary of PM Modi between July-end and August first week is being hammered out, though a digital inauguration is not completely ruled out, sources in the Temple Trust told TOI on Thursday.
On Thursday, PM Modi’s aide Nripendra Mishra, former security in charge of PM and current security advisor to Ramjanmabhoomi, K K Sharma met Temple Trust members, including Anil Mishra, former royal Bimlendra Mishra and Trust secretary Champat Rai. District officials, including the DM and SSP were also present.
Talking to TOI, Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, official spokesman of Trust president Nritya Gopal Das, said, “The mahant had written to the PM, inviting him to conduct the bhoomi pujan the sanctum sanctorum at the earliest.” Talking to TOI, BJP MLA from Ayodhya, Ved Prakash Gupta, said, “Efforts are on to bring the prime minister to Ayodhya to lay the adhaar shila (foundation) of Ram temple. The PM’s visit and the Ram temple will change Ayodhya’s destiny and turn the temple town to India’s Vatican.”
However, Temple Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and member Mahant Dhinendra Das were not present at the key meeting at Faizabad Circuit House on Thursday.