After paying obeisance to Ramlalla and overseeing the construction work of the temple, Shinde said he is happy that the dream of "Hindu Hriday Samrat" Balasaheb Thackeray and crores of Ram bhakts is being fulfilled.
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust is conducting a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya which began on January 15 and will go on till February 27.
"While this is not a surprising stance from a nation that practices cross border terrorism and denies its own minorities their religious rights, such comments are nevertheless deeply regrettable," said MEA spokesperson.
On Tuesday, devotees made offerings in cash at the temple counters and online donations, totalling Rs 3.17 crore, Mishra told PTI.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday performed a 'Shila Pujan' of the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple and said the temple will be a "symbol of people's belief".
The ruling party's leaders are likely to watch the ceremony from different parts of the country along with others, including the masses, amid the suggestion from the leadership that they should visit the temple after January 22 when a large number of guests are expected.
A heated exchange occurred in the Maharashtra assembly between Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray regarding the "act of God" defence for heavy rains and related incidents. The debate escalated to include climate change and alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple, leading to a brief adjournment.
Glimpses of the construction of the Shikhar and upper floors of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya.
In Washington, VHP members took out a tableau truck on Tuesday with the digital image of Ram temple, and went around the Capitol Hill with chanting of slogans "Jai Shree Ram" and moving around the city later.
This visit by the prime minister comes weeks ahead of the 'pran pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of the Ram temple.
Azam Khan, the president of the group said that they want to help the construction of the temple.
'Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the prime minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla?
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has been sent an invitation by speed post for the Ram temple consecration ceremony to be held in Ayodhya on Monday.
The monsoon session of Parliament will set the tone for how the Hindu community feels about what happened at the Ram Mandir. Whether emotions will be stirred within the voters of India lies solely at the oratory skills of the Congressis and Samajwadis, notes Zainab Sikander.
'It is best that an amicable solution to the dispute is found outside the precincts of the courts of law,' says former Union home secretary Dr Madhav Godbole.
They said it was then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who on February 1, 1986 got the permission for starting prayers at the disputed site and got the locks opened.
RSS on Thursday made a series of tweets quoting Bhagwat on the issue.
The newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party president Surya Pratap Shahi visited the disputed site in Ayodhya on Friday and vowed to construct a Ram temple there, saying it was something related to the faith of crores of Hindus.
'We are also running Ram rasoi (kitchen) free of cost for Ram devotees in Ayodhya'
The support of every Ram devotee from all over the country will be solicited for the grand temple to be built at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Rai said, adding that for this, Vishva Hindu Parishad activists will go from door to door, accompanied by venerated seers and others.
Despite the Ram Mandir issue failing to cut much ice with voters, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Friday reaffirmed his commitment to building the temple at Ayodhya.
The UP CM's visit comes a day after senior BJP leaders were charged with conspiracy in the Babri Masjid case.
"The holy water of the Sharda Kund at the Sharda Peeth PoK was collected by Tanveer Ahmed and his team. Our civil society member across the LoC (Line of Control) carried it to Islamabad, wherefrom it was sent to his daughter Maghribi in the UK.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh executive head Bhaiyyaji Joshi has expressed confidence that the Ram temple will be constructed in Ayodhya by the time of next 'Kumbh'.
"There was a Ram temple in Ayodhya and it will exist there in the future, too, and with a grand look," he said.
The Lok Sabha passed two Bills, including one to rename Kerala as Keralam, without debate as Opposition members continued their protests, demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence to address police excesses against student protesters and alleged Ram temple fund irregularities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that the Congress and Samajwadi Party will run a bulldozer over the Ram temple if elected to power, and asked them to take 'tuition' from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath 'where to run bulldozers'.
The prime minister will also visit the Hanuman Garhi temple and the buildings on roads leading to it too are being spruced up.
Around five lakh devotees visited the Ram temple complex on day one as it opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, a day after the consecration ceremony, according to officials.
On the upcoming Ram Temple events, Jamiat said that in light of the recent events linked to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, it deems necessary to draw the attention of the government and law enforcement agencies to concerns about the breach of peace and attempts to "harass and intimidate the minority community."
Mohan Bhagwat said the temple would be constructed in the same grandeur as it existed before, using the "same stones" under the guidance of those who were the flag-bearers of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for the last 25 years.
'For ages Lord Ram's character had served as a source of unity for the entire Indian sub continent.
Glimpses of India's vibrant Navratri and Durga Puja celebrations, as devotees perform traditional Garba, worship Goddess Durga and visit elaborately decorated pandals.
Led by Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Muslim organisation, the group started their journey from Lucknow on January 25, Shahid Saeed, media in-charge of MRM, said on Wednesday.
An editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said it was never decided that the grand temple will be constructed through public donations, and political campaigning in the name of Lord Ram has to be stopped at some point of time.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent invitations to 7,000 people, including 3,000 VVIPs, for the consecration.
Talking about the donation received by VHP from President Kovind, Alok Kumar said, "He is the first citizen of the country. So we went to him to initiate this drive and he met us with his family and donated a sum of Rs 5,00,100 and gave his good wishes for the success of the mission."
He said God has chosen him as an instrument to represent all Indians during the 'Pran Pratishtha' exercise and that he is undertaking the special religious exercise keeping this in mind.
Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said it is the "dream" of the people of the country that Ram Mandir is built as early as possible.
The event will be marked by prayers to Lord Shiva at the Kuber Tila shrine on the Ram Janmabhoomi site, allocated for the temple in a historic Supreme Court verdict last November.
