Last Updated:
The temple will “preserve the legacy of Krittibas Ojha”, a famous medieval Bengali poet best known for writing a Bengali version of the Hindu epic Ramayan
The temple will come up on a private land gifted to a trust—Shri Krittibas Ram Mandir Trust. (News18)
West Bengal, which has entered election mode, is all set to get its very own Ram Mandir and an invitation for the temple’s Bhoomi Poojan will soon be extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The temple will come up on a private land gifted to a trust—Shri Krittibas Ram Mandir Trust. According to the trust, unlike former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir’s Babri Masjid plan, their grand scheme is not based on ‘micro donations’ but a sense of public participation. Hence, in next leg, in Shantipur in Nadia district where the proposed grand Ram Temple will come up, Hindus have been encouraged to carry bricks with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ inscribed on them to the temple site.
“We invited representatives from BJP and RSS on Tuesday at the temple site. We held a meeting of the trust where it has been decided the Bhoomi Poojan of Bengal’s Ram Temple will be on a date when the prime minister is available. A brick with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ inscribed on it will be placed in the ground on that day,” Litton Bhattacharya, the secretary of the trust, told News18.
While the prime minister is planned to be invited through senior BJP leadership, a board about the temple has also come up outside BJP’s national headquarters in Delhi.
The over-21-acre land was under Bhattacharya’s private ownership before he handed it over to the trust. According to him, the trust has already gathered Rs 100 crore, which it estimates to be the temple’s construction cost. “We have our own funds, Rs 100 crore right now. All of our trustees are well-acclaimed personalities. We don’t need to beg unlike others,” Bhattacharya said, taking a dig at Kabir.
So, how will it differ from Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir? According to its website, it will “preserve the legacy of Krittibas Ojha”, a famous medieval Bengali poet best known for writing a Bengali version of the Hindu epic Ramayan. The Bengali version, known as “Krittivasi Ramayan”, wasn’t just a translation but helped spread devotional (Bhakti) traditions and inspired later Bengali literature and culture. Bengal’s Ram Temple will project this ‘Bengali’ side of ‘Ram’ and ‘Ramayan’ through the temple.
There will also be spiritual education for children focusing on moral values and stories from Ramayan, workshops for teenagers (14-25) to develop leadership skills “rooted in Dharma”, monthly gatherings for women empowerment, spiritual discourse, and skill development, weekly satsang & kirtan, yoga & wellness, and provision of scholarships.
The 600-year-old original manuscript written by Krittibas was in France, claims the trust, which has now been transported to Netherlands with the personal endeavour of the trust’s president, Arindam Bhattacharjee. “Once the temple is built, the original manuscript can be brought back here,” says Litton Bhattacharya.
While Bhattacharya may wish to delink from the supposed ‘Babri’ mosque in Murshidabad, comparisons are bound to be drawn. Kabir laid the foundation stone for the Masjid replica in Rejinagar, Murshidabad, on December 6 last year, sparking a political controversy. They are reported to have collected over Rs 1.30 crore in donations by early December 2025. Construction is scheduled to begin on February 11, 2026, amid security concerns.
As the polls draw near, Bengal seems set for a Ram Mandir vs Babri Masjid debate.
February 05, 2026, 07:00 IST
Read More
