Ram Temple Ayodhya Donation Controversy

The Ram Mandir, is in the news due to allegations that more than ₹7 crore worth of devotees’ donations, including cash, gold, silver and jewellery, were allegedly embezzled (misappropriation). The allegations were made by former accounts supervisor Mahipal Singh, who claimed there were financial irregularities in the handling of donations and that he was removed after raising the issue.

In response, the Government of Uttar Pradesh formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and based on its interim report, an FIR was registered and eight persons were arrested for questioning. Petitions have also been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation. Following the SIT inquiry, Champat Rai resigned as the General Secretary of the Trust on 27 June, along with trustee Anil Mishra, stating that they were stepping down on moral grounds.

However, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has denied all allegations, stating that donations collected through around 35 donation boxes are counted in the presence of trustees, temple staff and State Bank of India officials and are regularly audited. The controversy highlights the need for greater transparency, accountability and proper financial management in religious institutions to maintain public trust.

SHRI RAM JANMABHOOMI AYODHYA CASE

It is the belief of crores of Hindus that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya. At his birthplace, there was a huge temple which was destroyed by Babar, and a mosque (Babri Masjid) was built there in 1528. Hindus had been fighting for centuries to rebuild the Ram Lalla temple at that holy place. The Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindu activists during a political rally that turned into a riot on 6th December 1992. The Librarian Commission was formed by the government to inquire into the incident.

After the demolition of the Babri Masjid, a subsequent land title case was lodged in the Allahabad High Court. On 30th September 2010, the Allahabad High Court pronounced its verdict by a 2:1 majority. It was ruled that 2.77 acres of disputed Ayodhya land be divided into three parts: 1/3 to Ram Lalla, 1/3 to Sunni Waqf Board, and 1/3 to Nirmohi Akhara. (Nirmohi Akhara is a Hindu religious denomination that had been fighting for centuries to rebuild the Ram Lalla temple) Justice Dharam Veer Sharma & Justice Sudhir Aggarwal gave the concurring judgment, and the dissenting judgment was given by Justice S.U. Khan.

The decision of the Allahabad High Court was challenged in the Supreme Court. The final judgment in the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Ayodhya dispute case - M. Siddique (dead) through legal representatives vs Mahant Suresh Das and others was delivered by the Supreme Court on 9th November 2019. The Supreme Court ruled that the disputed 2.77 acres of land be handed over to a trust to be established by the Government of India within three months to build the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The court also ordered the government to give an alternate 5 acres of land in another place to the Sunni Waqf Board for the purpose of building a mosque at a suitable place within Ayodhya. The Supreme Court also directed that sufficient representation be given to Nirmohi Akhara in the trust to be established by the Government of India. The five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The other judges were Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, and Justice Ashok Bhushan. The verdict delivered by the Supreme Court was unanimous.

Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, etc. filed review petitions in the Supreme Court against this verdict. The review petitions were rejected by the Supreme Court.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust was established for the construction and management of Shri Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya by the Government of India on 5th February 2020, as per the verdict of the Supreme Court. It has 15 members. Mahant Nritya Gopaldas is the Chairperson, and Sri Champat Rai is the General Secretary. This trust is located at the Ram Janamabhoomi, Ayodhya. The headquarters of this trust are in New Delhi. Sri Nripindra Mishra is the chairman of the construction committee. The trust also has nominated members of the Government of India as well as nominated members of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The District Collector of Faizabad (now Ayodhya District) is also a member of this trust.

The Nirmohi Akhara was given sufficient representation in this trust as per the verdict of the Supreme Court.

Members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust

The foundation stone of the Ram Lalla Temple was laid on 5th August 2020 by PM Shri Narendra Modi. The Ram Lalla Temple construction was completed on 25th November, 2025 at an approximate cost of Rs. 1900 crores. The temple is designed to be so durable that it lasts for a period of more than 1000 years. Larson & Toubro is the construction company and the Architect is Sompura Family. It is one of the marvels of Architecture and one of the Biggest temples across India and the World.

Sequence of Events

The Muslim Waqf Board was allotted a five-acre plot in Dhannipur, about 22 Kilometers away from Ayodhya in February 2020 to construct a mosque. The Muhammad Bin Abdullah Masjid will be constructed by the India-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) Trust. The construction has been significantly delayed due to several reasons like financial crisis, bureaucratic challenges, etc.

On 22nd January 2024, the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony was conducted at the newly constructed Ram Mandir. Pran Pratishtha (Consecration) refers to the ritual by which the presiding idol of the temple, in this case, Ram is installed and “brought to life.” Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi presented the same. This ceremony was widely celebrated by Hindus just like the festival Diwali. The Uttar Pradesh Government left no stones unturned to make this an unforgettable event. The streets and the markets were decorated and houses lit up throughout India. The dream of Hindus throughout the world finally realized on 22nd January, 2024.