Ram Mandir draws steady devotee footfall despite donation row: Nripendra Misra

Ram Mandir Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra said devotees continue visiting the Ayodhya temple despite the donation theft controversy. He termed the incident regrettable, assured stronger safeguards, and said most construction work inside the temple complex is expected to finish by August 15

Ayodhya: Ram Mandir Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Misra said on Sunday that devotees are continuing to throng the temple without any signs of hesitation or distrust in the system despite the recent donation row.

Speaking to IANS, Misra said he has no data on the flow of devotees since the row, but there are no indications of a dip in the number of people offering prayers daily.

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The personal feedback I received after talking to devotees is that their focus continues to be on Lord Ram and offering prayers to him, and they will continue to come in large numbers, he said.

I am told the devotees footfall swells on Saturday and Sunday, and there are sizeable crowds even at Hanuman Garhi, he said, rejecting fears that fewer devotees were turning up in the holy city in the backdrop of the donation row.

Misra termed the recent theft of donations at the Ram Mandir a matter of deep regret and assured that the temple administration would strengthen its systems to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

The incident that occurred at the Ram Mandir is a matter of deep regret for all of us. We not only feel sorry but also feel diminished by what has happened. It is a matter related to the system, and improvements will certainly be made. I have full faith that such incidents will not be repeated, he said.

Providing an update on the construction work, Misra said the Ram Mandir project has entered its final phase, with only two major tasks remaining.

The first task relates to the old temple and its memorial. Most of the work has been completed, but the arrangement for the 24-hour jwala is still pending. Apart from that, the construction work is complete. The second task is the completion of the memorial, which is expected to be finished by the end of July, he said.

He also reviewed the progress of the temple’s boundary wall and expressed confidence that it would be completed within the scheduled timeline. Misra indicated that most of the construction work within the temple complex would be completed by this year’s Independence Day.

He said he expects the construction companies to meet the August 15 deadline for work pending within the complex. I am not talking about pending work outside the premises, like the museum, he said.