Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra is a public charitable trust constituted by the Government of India to oversee the construction and management of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The trust was set up following the verdict of the Supreme Court of India in November 2019 in the long-running Ayodhya title dispute, which awarded the disputed site to a body to be formed by the Union Government.
| Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Name | Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra |
| Type | Public charitable trust |
| Formed | February 2020 |
| Founded by | Government of India |
| Purpose | Construction and management of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya |
| Location | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Chairman | Mahant Nritya Gopal Das |
| General Secretary | Champat Rai |
The Ayodhya dispute centred on the site believed by many Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Rama. After decades of litigation, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a unanimous judgment on 9 November 2019, directing the Union Government to formulate a scheme within three months for the setting up of a trust or other appropriate body to manage the site and oversee the construction of a temple. The court also directed that an alternative five-acre plot be allotted in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.
On 5 February 2020, the then Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in the Lok Sabha the formation of the trust under the name Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. The trust was constituted in compliance with the Supreme Court's directions and was given autonomy in matters relating to the construction and administration of the temple and associated facilities.
The trust is composed of fifteen trustees, including representatives nominated by the Union Government, members of the Nirmohi Akhara, members of the erstwhile Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, and prominent figures from the Hindu religious and legal community. Two trustee positions are reserved for nominees of the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, while one is reserved for a member of the Scheduled Castes.
The Bhoomi Pujan (ground-breaking ceremony) for the Ram Mandir was performed on 5 August 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with senior religious figures and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath in attendance. The construction was undertaken by Larsen & Toubro as the principal contractor, with Tata Consulting Engineers serving as project management consultant. The temple was designed in the Nagara style of North Indian temple architecture, with the design originally prepared by the Sompura family of architects.
The Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of the Ram Lalla idol in the sanctum sanctorum took place on 22 January 2024, with the principal rituals conducted in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The trust is responsible for:
The temple project was largely financed through public donations. The trust conducted a nationwide contribution campaign known as the Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan in early 2021, in which volunteers visited households across India seeking voluntary contributions for the temple's construction.
The trust is one of the most prominent religious bodies established in independent India by an Act of governmental notification, owing to the historical, legal and cultural importance of the Ayodhya site. Its formation marked the culmination of one of the longest-running civil disputes in Indian legal history and the beginning of a major reshaping of Ayodhya as a pilgrimage and tourism centre.