NEW DELHI, June 25: Changing his stand from what he stated on Monday, the Ayodhya Ram Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra on Tuesday rejected the allegations of the temple’s chief priest regarding the seepage of rainwater draining out of water from the sanctum sanctorum.
“There was no water leakage but the rainwater came down from the pipes fixed to install electric wires,” Mishra said. “I myself have inspected the building of the temple. The second floor is under construction. When the roof of the second floor will be finally constructed, then the rainwater will stop entering the temple,” Mr Mishra told reporters.
Alleging negligence in the construction of the temple, Ram Janmabhoomi temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das had on Monday alleged that there was no arrangement for the draining out of rainwater from the temple premises after the showers on Saturday midnight and urged the temple authorities to take necessary corrective measures.
Mr Das had asked the temple authorities to take cognisance of the incident and make necessary arrangements to stop leakage and ensure outflow of water from the temple. He had claimed that there was heavy leakage from the roof of the temple’s sanctum sanctorum in the first heavy showers that occurred at midnight on Saturday.
Rainwater was leaking from the roof directly above the place where the priest sits in front of Ram Lalla’s idol and where people come for VIP ‘darshan,’ he had said. “It is very surprising that engineers from all over the country are building the Ram temple. The temple was inaugurated on January 22. But, no one knew that if it rains, the roof will leak. “It is surprising that the roof of a world famous temple is leaking. Why did this happen?” he added.
Such an incident is happening in the presence of such big engineers, which is very wrong, he had said. Mr Mishra in response had said on Tuesday that the leakage of the rainwater was expected as the floor above the sanctum sanctorum was still under construction.
Mr Mishra said measures have been taken to protect the devotees from water and sunlight by making temporary construction on the roof. About the progress of temple construction, Mr Mishra said work on the first floor was on and would be finished by July this year. He expressed the hope that the construction of the temple would be completed by December.
(Manas Dasgupta)