Next phase of Ram temple construction launched

Ayodhya (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple, which he called India's victory against invaders and a symbol of the country's unity.

The construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2020, after a landmark verdict by the Supreme Court that settled the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.

Wednesday's "shila pujan" marked the beginning of the next phase of construction that of the main temple -- now that a base for it has already been built. This part of the temple is expected to be built and open to people a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Adityanath laid the stone amid the chanting of mantras in the presence of Ram temple trust officials and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. "This is India's victory against the invaders," he

said.