Ram Mandir inauguration: This spiritual leader outshines industrialists with his record donation to temple

he Ram Temple project has garnered donations exceeding Rs 5,500 crore thus far, with contributions still pouring in.

Ram Lalla, the sacred child form of Ram, is about to be honoured in Ayodhya, and the construction of the Ram temple is being funded entirely by donations from his followers. The historic consecration ceremony is scheduled for January 22, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people are expected to attend it.

The temple project has garnered donations exceeding Rs 5,500 crore thus far, with contributions still pouring in. Among the benefactors is Morari Bapu, a spiritual guru and acclaimed exponent of the epic poem Ramcharitmanas, who identifies himself as a humble fakir (ascetic) but has displayed immense generosity by making the largest individual donation for the construction of the temple.

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According to information provided on the website of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Bapu contributed Rs 11.3 crore to support the construction of the temple. Additionally, his followers based in America, Canada and Britain made separate donations totalling Rs 8 crore.

The spiritual leader, a Ram bhakt or devoted follower of Ram, has been a staunch supporter of the temple project. Bapu is widely recognised for his recitation of the Ramcharitmanas and has been conducting Ram Katha, or the narration of the epic Ramayana, on which the Ramcharitmanas too is based, for more than 50 years both in India and abroad.

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Who is Morari Bapu?

Bapu, born in 1946 in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, continues to reside there with his family. A remarkable aspect of his life is that he memorised the entire Ramcharitmanas, the poem written by Tulsidas that runs to over 10,000 verses, at the age of 12 and commenced reciting Ram Katha at the age of 14. Belonging to the Vaishnav Bava Sadhu Nimbarka lineage, Bapu has gained widespread acclaim for his mastery of the Ramayana and his engaging storytelling. His influence is such that even British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has attended one of his storytelling sessions.