Ahmedabad: Silver bricks to adorn Ram Temple

AHMEDABAD: The Jain community of Gujarat has contributed 24kg silver bricks for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Jain acharyas presented silver bricks to representatives of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The event was attended by 92-year-old Tapagacchadhipati Acharya Shree Manohar Kirti Sagar Maharaj, Acharya Uday Kirti Surishwarji Maharaj and Acharya Padma Sagar Suryaeshwar M.S.A.
The silver bricks can be used for laying the foundation of the temple or any other suitable area of the temple, said a Jain Acharya from Ahmedabad. The community members will chant Navakar Mantra, regarded as the most significant mantra of Jainism, for an hour every day till the construction work is over. Ayodhya has been home to five Jain Tirthankars including Rishabhdeo, the first Tirthankar and Ajitnath, the second Tirthankar, among others.
The community was earlier planning to give 11 silver bricks weighing 1kg each for the Ram temple. “We decided to give 24 bricks of 1kg each as a token of gift in the memory of the 24 Jain Tirthankars,” said the Acharya. On August 5, the entire community will chant mantras and light diyas in their homes as an expression of their happiness. Ashwin Patel of VHP who received the silver on behalf of the Ram temple said, “Jains follows Hindu customs and they are also very excited about the construction of the new temple.”