The construction cost Ram Temple in Ayodhya may shoot up by 1.5 times than the previous estimation of Rs 400 crore. However, the temple will be completed in the next three years, said Champat Rai, general secretary of Ram Temple Trust.
During the donation drive, the Temple Trust expects the collection to cross over Rs 2,500 crore, donated by 10 crore families. The amount is likely to go up in the coming days. Among states, Rajasthan emerged as the biggest contributor.
Rai said 1.75 lakh groups—each group consisting of 10 members—of volunteers went around for collection of funds. As many as 38,000 people from among these groups were appointed as depositors. They went to the banks to deposit the money.
Claiming that system of collection of funds was transparent, Rai said even Muslims have contributed for the project.
Rai refused to reveal the name of the highest donor. When asked if the Congress president also contributed for the cause, he said there has to be meeting of minds before anyone can ask for donation.
He said collection drive went on smoothly in West Bengal, but faced a few hurdles in Tamil Nadu. The state government didn't interfere or create hurdle in collection of funds in West Bengal, Rai said.
“We earlier thought that temple – not the complex—will take Rs 400 crore. But now the cost may now escalate by one and a half times,” Rai added.
Giving details of work done till now, Rai said the construction workers have already dug 400 feet length, 250 wide, 35 feet deep for preparing the foundation of the temple. “There was no soil, but only debris. These debris are being removed, and will go till 40 feet before we start the foundation work.” He said experts from IIT Delhi, IIT Guhwati, IIT Madras, IIT Mumbai, NIT, Surat, CBRI Roorkee, NGRI Hyderabad, Tata Engineers, L&T have been providing inputs to build a foundation that will last centuries.
Rai said there was no authentic document on building temples of such scale, and which can last for centuries. He appealed that such documents should be traced.
“Bansi Paharpur stone from Rajasthan will be used at three places; four lakh cubic meter for raising the plinth, another four for periphery, and four lakh cubic meter for building temple,” the VHP leader said.
During festival season, the temple management was expecting five lakh visitors in a day in Ayodhya, and so efforts were on to create facilities for faithful in the complex.