The 42-day special fund-raising drive by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will run across the country from Makar Sankranti with the help of local denizens having good credibility in their locality or villages.
Addressing the inaugural sessions of two-day Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti’s executive body meet at Hanuman Prasad Poddar Andh Vidyalaya premises in Durgakund in Varanasi on Saturday, trust general secretary Champat Rai gave this information while sharing the strategy to raise fund for the construction of a grand temple at birth place of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
Rai said, “The biggest fundraising drive of the world is going to be started from the day of Makar Sankranti on January 14 or 15 till Maghi Purnima falls on February 28.
Rai said, “We will run this drive in hill, coastal, forest and all other regions of the country with the help of local people having good credibility among the people of their villages and localities. Number of people getting involved in fund collection would be in lakhs as they will have to cover 55 crore population of around 11 crore families in five lakh villages.” He said people will be encouraged for voluntary contributions as per their own wish.
In his address, UP minister of state (independent charge) for tourism, religious affairs and culture Neelkanth Tiwari highlighted how the religious affairs department was lying ignored in previous governments despite its formation in 1983.
He said, “Due to lack of a directorate this department could not become effective. But now its directorate is going to be established in Kashi, which will help in accelerating the pace of work for the development of all religious sites to encourage more and more pilgrims to visit them.”
The minister gave credit to seers for keeping the feeling of nationalism alive in crisis time in the history of the past several centuries. He said that today there is a need for all states to focus on conserving their religious sites to boost the tourism sector.
“In UP we are focusing on development of religious shrines and sites at Ayodhya, Mathura, Chitrakoot and Kashi and these initiatives are helping the state in boosting the prospects of tourism in the state,” he added.
On the inaugural day, some resolutions wee moved including extending cooperation in fundraising for temple construction in Ayodhya and seeking CBI probe into killing of two sadhus in Palghar in April 2020 by the participants. They also hailed the decisions on bringing ordinance against love jihad, abolitions of Article 370 and Article 35(A) and others.
Samiti’s national spokesman and Patalpuri Peethadhishwar Swami Balakdas welcomed the guests while its national president Swami Avichal Das chaired the sessions.
Important among others Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Balkanand Giri, Mahant Phooldol Bihraidas, Swami Dharmdev, Mahant Kamalnayan and Swami Hansanand Tirth were also present.