Ayodhya seers to meet over Ram temple rituals, trust reforms after donation theft row
A crucial meeting of around 250 seers from Ayodhya's mutts, temples and akharas, along with Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) functionaries, will be held at Ayodhya on Thursday, July 23 to deliberate on issues relating to the Ram temple, PTI reported.
The meeting agenda includes ensuring that all religious rituals and festivals are conducted strictly in accordance with the Vaishnav-Ramanandi tradition and restoring devotees' confidence following the alleged donation theft case.
The meeting, scheduled to begin at 3 PM at Maniram Das Chhawani, the residence of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, comes a day after the Trust held two important meetings but deferred decisions on appointing its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and filling three vacant trustee posts.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kamal Nayan Das, the designated successor of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, said the central theme of Thursday's meeting would be "Rashtra aur Sanatan" (Nation and Sanatan Dharma).
"Representatives of mutts and temples from across Ayodhya will participate in the meeting," he said.
The meeting will also felicitate the five Ayodhya-based saints who were inducted into the Trust's reconstituted religious committee on Wednesday, July 22.
Discussions are expected to also focus on measures to prevent any recurrence of incidents such as the alleged theft of devotees' offerings at the temple.
VHP functionaries associated with religious and literary activities are expected to participate in the meeting, but there was no information about the attendance of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office-bearers.
During Wednesday's meetings, the Trust reconstituted its religious committee by appointing five Ayodhya-based saints -- Mahant Dinendra Das, Mahant Mithilesh Nandini Sharan, Mahant Janmejay Sharan, Mahant Gyan Das and Mahant Vishnu Das -- to oversee temple rituals, religious ceremonies and festivals.
The Trust, however, deferred decisions on appointing a permanent general secretary, filling three vacant trustee posts and selecting the temple's first CEO. The Trust said these issues would be taken up after further consultations.
The meeting assumes significance against the backdrop of the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations that surfaced in June. Following a preliminary inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight accused were arrested.
Police have recovered cash, gold, silver, foreign currency and a donation box labelled "Ramrajya Kosh" during the investigation. The controversy also led to the resignations of former general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.
