Lucknow, Oct 10 The Ram Katha Sangrahalay, spread in 2.8 acres near the banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya, has been handed over to the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust by the Uttar Pradesh government after signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Trust and Culture Department.
Constructed in 1988, the Ram Katha Sangrahalay, also known as the Ayodhya Museum, houses more than 1,000 rare sculptures and artefacts.
Statues of the Gupta and Sunga periods dating back to around 300-350 years are also a part of the rare collection of artefacts in the museum.
The museum also has an art gallery where relics related to Lord Ram are displayed.
Now, the Trust will also display artefacts recovered during excavation of the Ram Janmabhoomi campus after construction of the Ram temple began on August 5, 2020 in the Ayodhya Museum.
State Culture and Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, said: “The Culture department has entered into a historic agreement with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. Antiquities related to Lord Shri Ram and statues, inscriptions, manuscripts written on copper plates found in 1992 and at the time of construction of Ram temple are preserved in the International Ram Katha Museum.”
A collection of jewellery and clothes from Indian and foreign Ram Lilas are also present in the museum, Singh added.
The Trust had requested the state government to handover the museum to it.
Initially, the Trust had planned a museum in the Ram Janmabhoomi campus.
But the plan was dropped due to security reasons.
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