Ayodhya, Jan 18 (IANS): The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Thursday denied setting up any online platform to help devotees get the ‘prasad’ offered to the deity in Ayodhya.

A member of the trust said, “No vendor or agency has been appointed by the trust to distribute the prasad online.”

The statement comes amid reports of some online platforms claiming to provide the prasad to devotees after the ‘Prana Pratishtha (consecration)’ ceremony on January 22.

Anil Paranjape, a resident of Mumbai, who got in touch with the Ram temple trust office on Wednesday, said that some online platforms were offering the prasad. “But I was not sure and hence I visited the trust office to procure the prasad in bulk,” he said.

The staff deputed in the camp office of the trust near the Ram temple handed over 10 packets of the ‘elaichi dana’ to Paranjape with instructions to mix it with other prasad for further distribution.

Unlike other temples and religious shrines where prasad is offered by the devotees, in Ayodhya carrying prasad beyond the security checkpoints has not been permitted due to security reasons.

The incharge of the temple trust camp office, Prakash Gupta said, “The Ram temple trust is a non-profit organisation. Prasad is only offered within the existing Ram temple to the devotees. No online service has been initiated so far. The prasad is offered free of cost to the devotees and no money is charged. People need to be cautious about online platforms and services as the trust has not authorised anybody yet.”