The leaders of the Maharashtra Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), Uday Samant and MP Shrikant Shinde, presented a cheque of Rs 11 crore for the Ram Temple on Saturday.
Uday Samant, the state minister, stated that “on behalf of the people of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has contributed Rs 18 crore for the Ram Temple. Today, we have gathered here to hand over the cheque.”
Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, received the cheque and expressed his happiness. He mentioned that “it is a matter of joy that Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) MP Shrikant Shinde have come here to present a cheque of Rs 11 crore on behalf of the people of Maharashtra. The amount has been successfully transferred to the bank account.”
In the meantime, Uddhav Thackeray, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief, announced that the party will conduct a ‘Maha Aarti’ at the bank of the Godavari River in Nasik, Maharashtra, on January 22, the day of the Ram Temple consecration.
The Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will commence on January 16, a week prior to the main ceremony.
Uddhav Thackeray stated, “Although the birth anniversary of Bala Saheb falls on January 23, since the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple is scheduled for January 22, the Shiv Sena will perform a ‘Maha Aarti’ on that day at the bank of the Godavari River in Nasik.”
He further added, “We do not wish to involve ourselves in the matter of who has received an invitation and who has not. When the consecration ceremony takes place in Ayodhya, we will participate by offering prayers at the Kala Ram Temple in Nasik. On the same day, we will also hold the party’s conference in Nasik itself.”