Saints want Ram Temple construction from 'Ramnavami'

The saint community in Ayodhya wants Ram Temple construction to start from 'Ramnavami', the day Lord Rama was born.

Several prominent Hindu seers, including the chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, have urged the centre as well as the state government to begin the construction of the Ram Temple from the auspicious day of 'Ramnavami', which would be celebrated on April two.

''Ramnavami is the most auspicious day for starting the construction...Lord Rama was born on this day,'' Nitya Gopal Das said on Wednesday. Prominent Hindu seer Swami Rambhadracharya has also made a similar demand. 'Ramnavami' was celebrated on a grand scale in Ayodhya.

Das also said that the Ram Temple Trust would be formed after 'Makara Sankranti', which would be celebrated on January 15. He, however, did not elaborate if he would be a member of the proposed Trust.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has started the work of cleaning the carved bricks, which have been kept at its workshop in Ayodhya. ''We plan to increase the number of workers for the cleaning work,'' said an employee at the workshop.

The carving work was also going in the workshop, he said adding that more artisans were being called for this purpose from Rajasthan and other places.

''We want to be ready when the construction of Ram Temple begins,'' he said. The workshop has witnessed increased footfalls after the supreme court verdict clearing the path for Ram Temple construction.

The VHP had already made it clear that it would insist on the adoption of its own model of the Ram Temple. ''We will not accept any other model,'' a VHP office bearer had said recently.