New Delhi: In a major attempt to revive the dormant Ram Temple movement, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on September 18 announced plans to recruit 8,000 full time volunteers besides launching 15,000 'yatras' across the country to create "religious awareness".

The Sangh Parivar outfit has also called an emergency meeting of its central advisory board of over 100 religious leaders in Lucknow on September 28 to discuss the Ayodhya issue.

"With a view to create nation-wide religious awareness, full time 'Ram Sadhaks' (people devoted to Lord Ram) would be appointed in the country's 8,000 blocks for one year. Some of them are already undergoing training at Ayodhya," VHP central secretary and spokesman Veereshwar Dwivedi told reporters.

They would operate from their homes and would be engaged in full time religious work at their own expense, he said.

Besides, VHP would also organise 'Dharma Jagran Yatras' (religious awareness campaigns) at 15,000 places across the country for a month beginning November 15 so as to reach one lakh villages, he said.

The temple movement has been lying dormant after the March 15 'shiladaan' programme at Ayodhya, which the outfit's critics alleged, was a "flop show".

The meeting of the VHP's Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal would discuss Ayodhya related developments including an opinion sought by the Allahabad High Court for carrying out excavations at the disputed site, which VHP has opposed.

The meeting would be followed by a state-level 'Save Religion Conference' at Lucknow on September 29 where religious leaders would administer a vow to volunteers to even die for the cause "come what may", Dwivedi said.

PTI