Maharashtra leaders hand over cheque of Rs 11 crore for Ram Mandir

Ayodhya: Maharashtra Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leaders, Uday Samant and MP Shrikant Shinde handed over a cheque of Rs 11 crore for the Ram Temple on Saturday.
"On behalf of the people of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has given Rs 18 Crore for the Ram Temple. Today we have come here to hand over the cheque," state minister Uday Samant said.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary Champat Rai received the cheque and said that it is a matter of happiness.
"It is a matter of happiness that Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) MP Shrikant Shinde came here to hand over a cheque of Rs 11 crore on behalf of the people of Maharashtra. The amount has been transferred to the bank account," he said.
Meanwhile, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said that the party will perform a 'Maha Aarti' at the bank of the Godavari River in Maharashtra's Nasik on the Ram Temple consecration day on January 22.
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.
Udhhav Thackeray said, "The birth anniversary of Bala Saheb falls on Janurary 23 but since the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple is going to be held on January 22, the Shiv Sena will perform a 'Maha Aarti' on that day at the bank of the Godavari River in Nasik."
"We do not want to indulge in matter of who has got the invitation and who has not. When the conseration ceremony will be held in Ayodhya, at the same time, we will participate by offering prayers at the Kala Ram Temple in Nasik. On the same day, we will hold party's conference in Nasik itself," Thackeray added.