Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Pawan Kalyan: 8 celebs who donated towards Ayodhya’s Ram Temple construction
The consecration ceremony will take place at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday. Celebrities as well as the common people, are eagerly awaiting the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
Several Bollywood celebrities, including Akshay Kumar, Kangana Ranaut, Tiger Shroff, Jackie Shroff, Hariharan, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda, Anushka Sharma have also received the invitation. Many of them are expected to fly to Ayodhya to be part of the event.
News agency PTI cited the treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Govind Dev Giri, as saying that more than ₹1,100 crore has so far been spent in constructing the Ram Temple. He added that another ₹300 crore might be needed to complete the work. Many people have made donations towards the temple. Several celebrities from the film and television industries, including Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher and Gurmeet Choudhary, have also contributed towards the construction of the temple.
1) Akshay Kumar
In January 2021, the actor shared a video of himself. He talked about how the people could contribute, either big or small amounts, towards the construction of the temple. Posting the video, he wrote, “It is a matter of great joy that the construction of our grand temple of Shri Ram has started in Ayodhya…Now it is our turn to contribute. I have started, hope you will also join us. Jai Siyaram.”
2) Anupam Kher
On October 2, 2023, Anupam Kher posted a video on Instagram when he visited Ayodhya. The actor had shared the clip which he recorded at the construction site of the Ram Temple. Sharing it, he wrote in Hindi, “Friends! I am showing you a glimpse of the historical #RamTemple being made in Ayodhya. It was a pleasant feeling to see this huge temple being constructed. Every devotee is engaged in his devotion in the construction of Ram Lalla’s temple. Jai Sri Ram echoes all over Ayodhya atmosphere! I am lucky to have a brick gift to this temple at my urge! I am blessed!”
3) Mukesh Khanna
In February 2021, the actor shared a tweet as he handed over a cheque of ₹1.1 lakh to the authorities towards the construction of the temple. Posting a photo, he wrote in Hindi, “Today, Shri Mukesh Khanna ji, the Pitamah of the elderly and the Shaktiman of the children, handed over his cheque of ₹111111 to the MLA of his area, Atul Bhatkhalkar ji, in the Ram Mandir construction fund collection campaign. Vijay Jha ji and Sainath Kulkarni ji were present along with him.”
4) Pawan Kalyan
As quoted by Indian Express, Pawan Kalyan donated ₹30 lakh for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. His statement read, “Lord Sri Ramachandra is the replica for dharma and tolerance, sacrifice and bravery shown by him is an inspiration to all. India has withstood many attacks because of the path created by lord Sri Rama. Hence, it is everyone’s responsibility to extend solidarity for the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, the replica of such dharma. I am donating rupees 30 Lakh as my part for the construction of Rama temple. On hearing about my donation, my personal staff members, including not only Hindus but also Muslim and Christians, have raised rupees 11,000 for the same purpose.”
5) Hema Malini
The actor has donated an undisclosed amount for the construction of the temple, as per Indiatimes.com. She also recently performed in Ayodhya. Hema Malini had said, “I have come to Ayodhya for the first time. I am going to perform in the Ramayana as Sita. This programme has been organised by Swami Rambhadracharya. He has organised a 10-day programme. I am fortunate to be here during this time. The whole of Bollywood is ‘Ramamay’… The artists are singing Ram songs. I also sang a Ram Bhajan last year. Everybody is preparing everything for Lord Ram.”
6) Manoj Joshi
In 2021, VHP had posted a video of the actor speaking about Lord Ram and the Ram Temple on Facebook. As per the report, he also contributed towards the temple
7) Gurmeet Choudhary
In January 2021, Gurmeet Choudhary posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) and shared a story. He wrote in Hindi, “As you know, the work of collecting funds for the construction of Ram temple is going on with great enthusiasm in the entire country. For this auspicious work, we also want to offer some of our support at the feet of Lord Ram. Jai Shri Ram.”
8) Pranitha Subhash
Taking to X, she posted a video on Jan 12, 2021. She wrote, “I’m making a humble initial pledge of ₹1 lakh for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir nidhi samarpana abhiyaana. Requesting all of you to come join hands and be a part of this historic movement #RamMandirNidhiSamarpan.”
On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the Pran Pratishtha. About 8,000 people are on the long list of invitees for the consecration ceremony. The select list features 506 A-listers, including prominent politicians, leading industrialists, top film stars, sportspersons, diplomats, judges and high priests.