Relocated MP village to have new, Ayodhya-like Ram temple

"Some 10 years back when the village was getting submerged in the water of Maheshwar project, nearly 250 families were rehabilitated at a place around four km away," Yadav said. "The villagers will contribute for the temple from the compensation they have received after displacement," he said.

Bhoomi Pujan for a new Ram temple was performed at a rehabilitated village in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district on Wednesday morning to coincide with the much bigger event in Ayodhya. Former Union minister Arun Yadav performed the ground-breaking ceremony at Lepa village at the same time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The original Lepa village was submerged when the Maheshwar hydel power project was built on the river Narmada. "Some 10 years back when the village was getting submerged in the water of Maheshwar project, nearly 250 families were rehabilitated at a place around four km away," Yadav said.

"The villagers will contribute for the temple from the compensation they have received after displacement," he said. "There was a Ram temple in the village. While the people shifted to the new place, the God remained in the original place. Now it has been decided by the people to construct a grand temple in the new village at a cost of Rs one crore," Yadav said.

The new temple will be modeled on the one that is going to come up at Ayodhya, he said..