The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Wednesday reconstituted the religious committee overseeing the Ram temple in Ayodhya, giving a larger role to the city’s traditional seers and monastic community in managing religious affairs. The decision comes amid longstanding concerns among local religious leaders that they were being sidelined in the administration of the temple’s rituals and traditions. The Trust approved the formation of a new nine-member dharmik (religious) committee, which will include five seers from Ayodhya and four members from outside the temple town.

The panel will be responsible for overseeing key religious activities, including worship procedures, rituals and other related arrangements at the Ram temple. Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri, who will chair the newly formed committee, said the responsibility of managing the religious aspects of the temple has now been entrusted to Ayodhya’s sadhus and saints. He said the decision removes uncertainty over the role of the local religious community in conducting temple-related rituals and spiritual activities. The newly constituted committee includes several prominent religious figures.

The members are Shankaracharya Vasudevanand Saraswati, Swami Vishwaprasannatirth, Mahant Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara, Mahant Kamal Nayan Das of Maniram Chhavni, Mahant Rajkumar Das of Ramavallabh Kunj, Mahant Ramanand Das of Ram Katha Kunj, Swami Mithileshnandini Sharan and Swami Parmanand, along with other representatives from the religious community. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Trust’s board of trustees, where members discussed concerns raised by local monastic organisations regarding their participation in the temple’s religious management.

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The move is being seen as an attempt to strengthen the connection between the temple administration and Ayodhya’s traditional spiritual institutions. Along with restructuring the religious committee, the Trust also decided to revive a training institute for priests and make it a permanent institution. The initiative aims to provide structured training for priests who will perform rituals and ceremonies at the temple while maintaining traditional practices and religious procedures. The Ram temple, constructed at the site believed by devotees to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, has become one of the most significant religious projects in modern India.

Since the beginning of temple operations, questions surrounding the involvement of local seers and traditional religious bodies have remained a key issue among sections of Ayodhya’s spiritual community. The Trust’s latest decision is expected to provide a greater institutional role for Ayodhya’s religious leaders in the temple’s functioning. By involving experienced seers in the management of rituals and establishing a permanent priest-training system, the Trust aims to ensure that religious practices at the temple are conducted according to established traditions while maintaining organised administration.

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