Muslim man donates Rs 2.4cr worth land to world's biggest Ram temple

Patna: When the communal situation in the country appears to turn vicious, any move which appears a step in bridging the communal gap will be extolled. A donation of land worth Rs 2.4 crore for an upcoming temple in Bihar by a Muslim man is also worthy to be noticed.

Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, a petroleum transporter, when he came to know that the Mahavir Mandir Trust is struggling to find land for the proposed Ramayana temple due to the high cost, decided to donate 71 decimal (one decimal is 100th part of an acre) from his 30 acres land in East Champaran, where the temple is being built, The Indian Express reported.

The proposed Ramayana temple will be the biggest one in the world when on its expected completion in January 2025 with a spending of Rs 500-crore. It is not just Khan who showed an appreciating gesture; Khan's relatives, who owned land near the project, also helped the Mahavir Mandir Trust by selling over 7 acres of land at a price cheaper than the market rate.

Appreciating Khan's gesture towards the temple, Mahavir Mandir Trust secretary and former IPS officer Kishore Kunal said when the land is sold at Rs 4 lakh for a circle, Khan decided to donate the land.

Khan would have easily got Rs 2.4 crore for the land, had he sold it for Ram-Janaki Path (from Ayodhya to Janakpur), which passes through the Virat Ramayana Temple site, under the Central government's compensation scheme, Kunal said.

He said the temple, which is being modelled on Rameshwram theme, would be 270-foot high, 540-foot wide and 1,080-foot long. The main 33-foot idol will be of Lord Rama, worshipping Lord Shiva. In all, there will be 14 temples and four ashrams depicting the journey of Lord Rama. There will also be temples of Lord Krishna and Sun God.