Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) declined to accept prominent industrialists’ offers to construct the Ram Temple 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 Temple.
The VHP’s objective is to make the Ram temple a symbol of Indian culture and Hindutva. The inauguration of the temple 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 temples or in their homes.
In a surprising revelation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) disclosed that several leading industrialists and business houses approached them with offers to single-handedly construct the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. This revelation comes in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in favour of the Ram Janambhoomi in November 2019. 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.
Bansal stated that the VHP refused to forward the offers to the Sri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the nodal body responsible for overseeing the temple’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 Temple.
While Bansal did not disclose the identities of the industrialists who made the offers, 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 temple movement, which has spanned over 500 years and involved seers and numerous Ram Bhakts.
VHP cadres subsequently embarked on a nationwide drive to collect funds for the temple, conceptualising the idea of the Ram temple as a ‘Rashtra Mandir’ – a symbol of Indian culture. According to Bansal, this initiative seeks to ensure that the Ram temple does not become just another temple but stands as a manifestation of Indian culture, historically suppressed by both the Mughals and post-Independence governments driven by communal appeasement.
Bansal reiterated that the upcoming Ram temple inauguration on January 22, to be officiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a pivotal moment to solidify the temple’s significance. He emphasised the need for the temple to symbolise a resurgence of Indian 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 temple’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 temples or within the confines of their homes.
In the run-up to the inauguration, the VHP aims to foster a sense of collective participation, symbolising the Ram temple as a testament to India’s cultural resilience and unity in diversity.
