Ayodhya Verdict: Before Ram Mandir, This Historic Temple Was Built By Govt-Formulated Trust

The Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict on Saturday granted the entire 2.77 acre of disputed land in Ayodhya to deity Ram Lalla in a set of four directions. The 5-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed the Centre to set up a trust in three months to formulate scheme for construction of Ram temple. It is not the first time a trust formed by central government will have the task of envisioning and constructing a temple of such national and historic importance.

Somnath Temple Trust played an important role in construction of the temple in Gujarat. Somnath Temple bears the imprint of the India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who had vowed to rebuild it. India's first President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the temple. It is said that it was Mahatma Gandhi who had suggested using donations from public to build the temple instead using government money. 

The Somnath Temple Trust was established under the Gujarat Public Trust Act, 1950. Patel installed King of Jamnagar Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji as head of the trust while politician and educationalist KM Munshi, union minister NV Gadgil, union minister Jaisukh Lal Hathi, industrialist GD Birla and Saurashtra regional commissioner DV Rege were appointed as members.

Earlier Boards were dominated by Congressmen. The BJP now dominates the Board. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah are board members of the Somnath Temple Trust. Somnath Temple Trust has seven members.

The trust for the construction of Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya is expected to be similar to the Somnath Temple Trust. Prime Minister is expected to be member of the Ram Temple Trust also while other members would be decided by consensus, sources inside government told ANI. 

In all likelihood, the trust will fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture. Meanwhile, speaking to the media, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Patel informed that the ministry is planning to bring out a book on Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) listings of evidence in the case. "The ASI has done a commendable job and we would bring the work cited in the case in the Supreme Court in the form of a book," said the minister.