No temple, only statue of Dhoni in Ranchi

Ranchi: Amid objections raised by parents of Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni over the construction of a temple dedicated to him, his fans will now replaced it by a statue of the skipper and an art gallery.

"Dhoni's parents' permission should have been taken before taking such decision. The move is aimed at gaining cheap popularity," Deputy Mayor of Ranchi Ajay Nath Sahdeo, who is a close associate of Dhoni, told reporters here Friday.

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Dhoni Fans Club had proposed Dec 20 to construct a Dhoni temple in the Hatia area of Ranchi.

“Now we have decided to install a life-size statue of Dhoni and develop an art gallery. The gallery will display photographs of Dhoni since his childhood,” president of Dhoni Fans Club Jitendra Singh said.

"We do not intend to hurt the sentiment of anyone," he added.

Singh said the gallery will open for tourists and fans Aug 15 next year.