Ayodhya.
VHP declined to accept prominent industrialists’ offers to construct the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya. In order to make it a people’s movement, they initiated Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan after the Supreme Court Verdict came in favour of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir.
The VHP’s objective is to make the Ram Mandir a symbol of Bharatiya culture. The inauguration of the Mandir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled for January 22. The VHP plans to promote the idea of ‘Ramatva’ and encourage people to follow the consecration rituals either at local Mandirs or in their homes.
VHP disclosed that several leading industrialists and business houses approached them with offers to single-handedly construct the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Vinod Bansal, the national spokesperson for the VHP, confirmed that the organisation had turned down these offers and chose to pursue a nationwide fundraising campaign instead.
He stated that the VHP refused to forward the offers to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the nodal body responsible for overseeing the Mandir’s construction. Instead, the VHP initiated the Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan, a colossal campaign aimed at connecting with over 13 crore families across the country to raise funds for the construction of the Ram Mandir.
He emphasised that the VHP’s decision was rooted in the desire to uphold the sentiments of the people and to maintain the grassroots connection of the Ram Mandir movement, which has spanned over 500 years and involved seers and numerous Ram Bhakts.
This initiative seeks to ensure that the Ram Mandir does not become just another Mandir but stands as a manifestation of Bharatiya culture, historically suppressed by both the Mughals and post-Independence governments driven by communal appeasement.
Bansal reiterated that the upcoming Ram Mandir inauguration on January 22, to be officiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a pivotal moment to solidify the Mandir’s significance. He emphasised the need for the Mandir to symbolise a resurgence of Bharatiya culture that endured suppression, notably by the Mughals who aimed to obliterate Hindu culture and its symbols in places like Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Mathura.
The VHP spokesperson further detailed plans for a dedicated campaign promoting the concept of ‘Ramatva’- a unifying thread of ‘Hindutva’ that binds the diverse fabric of the country. Simultaneously, the VHP will extend invitations to prominent individuals with Akshat rice, a specially worshipped rice from Ayodhya, for the Mandir’s inauguration event.
As part of their outreach, the VHP intends to encourage people to follow the rituals performed during the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol in Ayodhya, making it accessible for individuals to participate either at local Mandirs or within the confines of their homes.