A representative of the Sindhi community has sought clarity on the utilisation of around 200 kilograms of silver bricks donated for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in 2021. The demand comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the accounting and handling of temple donations
Published Date – 25 June 2026, 08:52 PM
Lucknow: Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in donations and offerings made for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a representative of the Sindhi community has sought transparency regarding around 200 kilograms of silver bricks donated to the temple in January 2021.
Raju V Manwani, a businessman and representative of the global Sindhi community, while speaking to PTI Video in Leh on Thursday, said the silver bricks were donated on January 26, 2021, by nearly 200 devotees of the community from India and abroad as a contribution towards the construction of the Ram temple.
According to Manwani, devotees had contributed varying quantities of silver bricks, ranging from one to ten bricks each, and the entire donation was handed over with faith and devotion for use in the temple project.
He said no receipt was issued at the time of the donation, but the donors did not pursue the matter as they believed the contribution would be utilised appropriately for the temple’s construction.
However, in the wake of recent reports and the ongoing probe into alleged irregularities linked to temple donations and offerings, the community has sought information regarding the utilisation of the silver bricks and requested that receipts or relevant records be made available.
Manwani said the silver donated by the community was valued at approximately Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore and that transparency regarding its use was necessary. He claimed that donors had initially been informed that the quality of the silver would be assessed, details regarding its utilisation would be shared, and receipts would subsequently be issued.
“We only want to know whether the silver bricks donated by our community were actually used in the Ram Lalla temple and to receive the relevant documentation,” he said.
Manwani clarified that neither he nor the donors had filed any case regarding the matter. He said he had acted merely as a representative of the Sindhi community and that records of all donors, including forms and payment details related to the purchase of the silver, were available.
He said the community would fully cooperate with any investigation and provide all documents if sought by the authorities or the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Referring to the ongoing inquiry, Manwani said the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government had already submitted its report and that the community would await any further action by the government.
He said the objective was not to create any controversy but to ensure that systems are put in place in future so that devotees’ faith remains intact and that donations to temples are transparently accounted for.
The controversy concerns allegations of irregularities in the accounting and handling of cash donations, precious metals, jewellery and other offerings received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The allegations surfaced after reports and complaints claimed discrepancies in the records of donations and offerings received by the temple trust. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has denied wrongdoing and maintained that donations and offerings are being managed through established procedures.
In response to the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team headed by Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant to examine the claims. The SIT submitted its preliminary report on Monday.
