VHP to contact 50 lakh families in TN for Ram temple fund raising campaign

Chennai

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday said it has proposed to contact about 50 lakh families in Tamil Nadu as part of a huge outreach programme to raise funds to facilitate the construction of a grand temple for Lord Ram in Ayodhya. In the process, it would involve the participation of the Kanchi pontiff Sri Vijayendra Saraswathy Swamy and other seers, Milind Parande, VHP secretary general, said.

In addition to the Kanchi Acharya, Sri Marudachala Adigalar of Perur Mutt and other traditional Saivite and Vaishnavite mutts would also be involved in the 'Sampark Abhiyan' campaign to be launched on January 15, to mobilise support in Tamil Nadu. ''A huge outreach programme to contact people has been decided from Makar Sankranti to February, 27, 2021, Magha Purnima. Apart from providing information, the devotees would be requested to participate in building the temple,'' Parande told reporters here.

Offerings would be accepted from the devotees and financial transparency would be maintained. Coupons for Rs 10, Rs 100 and Rs 1,000 as well as receipts books will be available with the volunteers. It is estimated that over eleven crore families in over four lakh villages will be contacted in this Jana Sampark Abhiyan (outreach programme) across the country.

In Tamil Nadu, 10,000 panchayats, 5,000 wards in urban areas and 50 lakh families would be contacted during this outreach programme, he said, adding that about 90,000 volunteers would be involved in this campaign being launched following a request from the Sri Ram Janma Bhumi Tirtha Kshetra. ''The Ram temple at Ayodhya is not only a symbol of devotion of crores of Hindus to Lord Ram but also a symbol of Hindu pride,'' the VHP leader said.

The temple will be 360 feet in length, 235 feet in breadth and 161 feet in height with three floors and five spires (Shikhar). Many leading IITs, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Consultancy Services, Shree Sompura (architect) and various saints are involved in building of the temple, Su Srinivasan, president, VHP, Tamil Nadu, said.