Formation of trust to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhya by January: Sources

New Delhi: The final announcement on setting up a trust, as ordered by the Supreme Court, for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be made by January, sources said on Thursday, adding that the government is giving a final shape to the arrangements.

Discussions are also being held with some prominent saints of Ayodhya on setting up the trust. They are also likely to get a place in the trust panel. 

In its verdict on November 9, the Supreme Court handed the 2.77 acre land for a Ram temple and ordered that five acres of land at a prominent site be assigned for a mosque, thus bringing to an end the decades-old dispute. 

The top court gave the government three months' time to set up a trust for the temple construction, the deadline of which ends in February. 

Earlier this week, Home Minister Amit Shah announced that work on a grand Ram temple "touching the sky" will begin within four months. 

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"For a hundred years, people across the world have demanded a temple at the site where Lord Ram was born. The Supreme Court's decision has now come and in four months a sky-high temple will be built in Ayodhya," Shah said at a rally in poll-bound Jharkhand. 

"Should there not be a grand temple for Lord Ram in Ayodhya," he asked, drawing a resounding "yes" from his audience.

In Ayodhya, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, chief of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, said, "There can be nothing joyful for us than this. We are happy that a time-frame has been set for the temple construction."

Other saints and seers had already said earlier that the construction of Ram temple would formally begin from Ram Navratri in April next year, about four months from now.

The Supreme Court has also dismissed review petitions challenging the November 9 verdict in the Ayodhya dispute. A total of 18 review petitions were filed in the apex court in connection with its November 9 judgement - nine parties were part of the earlier litigation and the remaining has been filed by third parties. The bulk comprises review pleas from Muslim parties expressing discontent with the judgement.

Delivering their judgement, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said, "Applications for listing of review petitions in open Court are dismissed. We have carefully gone through the review petitions and the connected papers filed therewith. We do not find any ground, whatsoever, to entertain the same. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed."

(With IANS inputs)