Karnataka minister, devotees offer silver brick from Ramanagara to Ayodhya temple

Karnataka's Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan visited the Ayodhya Ram temple in UP and donated a silver brick from Ramanagara along with 150 devotees.

Karnataka's Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, along with a team of 150 devotees called on Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday and donated a silver brick from Ramanagara to the Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya, news agency PTI reported.

Karnataka's Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan with UP CM Yogi Adityanath and others on Thursday.

Narayan is the district in charge minister of Ramanagara, which is known for its historic significance as part of Ramayana is said to taken place there. The minister and the devotees reached the premises of the temple at around 11 am and offered the donation, along with a silk saree for Goddess Sita and a silk (shalya) shawl each to Lord Ram and Lakshman.

The minister wanted to contribute to the construction of the Ram Temple, PTI said. He shared his experience in the northern state on social media and expressed gratitude for having a “punya darshan” of lord Sri Ram.

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“It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to meet and interact with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri @myogiadityanath after watching the construction work of Sri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and offering the donation. Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have a shared relationship with mythology and culture,” he wrote on Twitter.

“It has been decided to completely revamp Lord Sri Ram's hill in Ramanagara and Mr. @myogiadityanath was cordially invited to come and initiate it,” he added in a second tweet.

A statement from the minister's office said Narayan, who also holds the IT/BT portfolio in Karnataka, offered the said donations to the General Secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Mr Champat Rai, and the office-bearers of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.

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The priest of the temple, Gopal Bhat, who is from Karnataka, worshipped the donations and also gave the minister and the devotees some “sacred” soil from Ayodhya. Narayan will take the soil to Ramanagara and mix it with the soil on Lord Sri Ram's hill there.