Saints demand temporary temple till Ram Mandir is built

The saint community in Ayodhya has demanded a temporary temple for 'Ramlalla' (the idols of Lord Rama) until a grand Ram temple is built.

The saints feel that the construction of the Ram temple may take two to three years and that 'Ramlala' can not be kept in a tent till that time.

"Now that the Supreme Court decision has been announced, there is no controversy... We are going to have a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya... But that may take time and during that time Ramlala can not remain in the tent," said Mahant Raju Das, who was associated with the famous Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya.

The Mahant said that the priests were unable to perform the religious chores as long as the idols were in the tent.

Another prominent saint said that thousands of devotees visit the makeshift Ram temple every day.

"These devotees face a lot of difficulty in paying obeisance... We need a temporary temple, where the idols of Lord Rama can be kept," the saint added.

He said that it would be a shame if 'Ramlala' remained in the tent despite the Supreme Court verdict.

"The devotees are not able to have proper darshan of the idols in the tent," he said adding that the idols might be kept at some existing temple for the time being.

According to sources. the number of devotees visiting the makeshift Ram temple had risen sharply since the apex court pronounced its verdict on Saturday.

Only 2,500 devotees had visited the makeshift Ram temple on Saturday but the footfall rose to 5,000 on Sunday.

During festivals and other important religious events, the number rises to thirty to forty thousands devotees, sources said.