Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Members, Check Full List Here

New Delhi: Today is the day when Shri Ram Lalla will be consecrated in the temple at Ayodhya. The idol of Ram Lalla, which is placed in the innermost chamber of the temple, is a masterpiece of art and devotion. It is sculpted by Arun Yogiraj, a talented artist from Mysuru. The idol is a magnificent sight to behold, as it depicts Lord Ram as a five-year-old child standing on a lotus made of the same stone. The idol is 51 inches tall and weighs 1.5 tonnes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest of the ceremony, and he will perform the rituals to mark the ‘Pran Pratishtha’, the act of infusing life into the deity. A team of priests, headed by Lakshmikant Dixit, will conduct the main rituals with utmost reverence and care.

The Supreme Court, in its landmark verdict on November 9, 2019, resolved the decades-long dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site and cleared the way for the building of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The apex court also directed the government to set up a trust that would be responsible for the temple’s construction and management. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in February 2020, fulfilling a long-standing demand and promise of the Hindu community.

The government, in 2020, revealed the names and details of the 15 members who are part of the Ram Temple Trust. The trust comprises eminent personalities from various fields, including religious, legal, social, and administrative. Senior Supreme Court advocate K. Parasaran, 93, is the head of the trust.

The establishment of the trust has been welcomed by ministers, political leaders, and parties, who have hailed it as a historic step towards realizing the dream of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The 15 members of the trust are:

1. K. Parasaran, Senior Supreme Court advocate and the head of the trust;
2. Jagatguru Shankaracharya Jyotishpeethadhishwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswatiji Maharaj, Prayagraj, a renowned spiritual leader and scholar;
3. Jagatguru Madhwacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannathirthaji Maharaj, Pejawar Math, Udupi, another prominent spiritual leader and scholar;
4. Yugapurusha Paramanand Ji Maharaj, Haridwar, a respected saint and social worker;
5. Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj, Pune, a well-known religious leader and the treasurer of the trust.
6. Bimlendra Pratap Mishra, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Ayodhya and a vocal supporter of the Ram Temple movement;
7. Dr. Anil Mishra, a homoeopathic doctor from Ayodhya and a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a body that spearheaded the temple campaign;
8. Kameshwar Chaupal, a Dalit leader from Patna and a former BJP member, who had laid the first brick for the Ram Temple in 1989;
9. A trustee nominated by the Board of Trustees, who is a Hindu and has faith in the ideals of Ram and Ramayana;
10. Another trustee nominated by the Board of Trustees, who is also a Hindu and has faith in the ideals of Ram and Ramayana;
11. Mahant Dinendra Das, Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya, who is the representative of the Nirmohi Akhara, one of the main litigants in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, and who shall be the trustee as per para 805 (4) of the Supreme Court judgement;
12. A representative nominated by the Central Government, who is a Hindu and an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) under the Central Government, and who shall not be below the rank of Joint Secretary. This person shall be an ex-officio member of the trust;
13. A representative nominated by the state government of Uttar Pradesh, who is a Hindu and an IAS officer under the state government, and who shall not be below the rank of Secretary. This person shall also be an ex-officio member of the trust;
14. District Collector of Ayodhya district, who is a Hindu and a former government employee, and who shall also be a trustee. If the current collector is not Hindu, then Additional Collector (who is Hindu) of Ayodhya shall be an ex-officio member of the trust;
15. The Board of Trustees shall appoint a Chairman, who is a Hindu and who shall be in charge of the matters relating to the Ram Temple’s development and administration.