Akshay Kumar donates Rs 1 crore to feed monkeys at Ayodhya; pays tribute to Rajesh Khanna, Aruna [details]

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is known for his generosity and often donates for a good cause. Be it for important projects, or for mankind, he even donated a huge amount during COVID-19. Months ago, he had donated to Haji Ali trust for renovation of the mosque. He has also donated to the PM relief fund during natural calamities.

Akshay Kumar donated at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir which will help in feeding monkeys daily. Recently, the actor donated Rs 1 crore to Ram Mandir, Ayodhya.

There have been monkeys around the Ram Temple, and actor Akshay Kumar has taken the initiative to feed over 1,200 monkeys every day at safe spots in the outskirts of the holy town of Ayodhya. Ever since the opening of the Ram Temple in January this year, lakhs of devotees visit Ayodhya every day, and with crowds came hundreds of monkeys, expecting to be fed. With a view that the animals get fed properly without any inconvenience to the pilgrims.

Importance of monkey for Lord Ram

In Tulsidas's timeless epic, Ramcharitmanas, Lord Ram expresses his eternal gratitude to Hanuman, saying, "I am forever indebted to you for your selfless service."

While Lord Ram's debt to Chiranjeevi Hanuman endures, the monkeys of Ayodhya, descendants of Hanuman's valiant army, face a different reality. These sacred creatures, who played a crucial role in Lord Ram's victory over Ravana, now struggle to survive, often relying on discarded food.

Talking about the same, founder trustee of Anjaneya Sewa Trust, Priya Gupta says, "I have always known Akshay Kumar to be an extremely kind and generous man be it his staff, his crew or co-actors that work with him or each of his family members. He not only donated instantly and generously, but also he dedicated this great sewa in the name of both his parents Hari Om and Aruna Bhatia and his father-in-law Rajesh Khanna. Akshay is not just a generous donor but also an equally socially conscious citizen of India. He was equally concerned about the citizens and city of Ayodhya and thus we will ensure that no citizen gets inconvenienced while we feed the monkeys and there is no littering on the streets of Ayodhya as a result of feeding the monkeys."

Akshay Kumar paid a tribute to his parents and his father-in-law, late actor Rajesh Khanna by having their names written on the feeding van.

Akshay Kumar said, "When I heard about the issues faced by the monkeys at such a holy place, I immediately felt like contributing my bit. Writing my parents and my father-in-law's name on the Van was an emotional decision. I feel somewhere up there they would feel proud of me. Given a choice, I would have written 'Aruna, Hariom aur Rajesh Khanna di gaddi' behind the van, in a true blue Punjabi style."

Diwali in Ram Mandir is special this year

The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is all set to organise the eighth Deepotsav in the holy city of Ayodhya this year. This Diwali is especially significant for the city, as it marks the first celebration at the newly built Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. Preparations are underway to make the festival as grand as possible. This year's Deepotsav will feature 18 vibrant tableaux portraying significant events from the life of Lord Ram. The Uttar Pradesh government has proclaimed plans for a spectacular display this Diwali, intending to make a new world record by illuminating the Saryu river banks with a staggering 2.8 million lamps.