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Consecration of Lord Ram a national festival, says Yogi
Educational institutions closed in Uttar Pradesh on January 22; no sale of liquor. Dust-free Ayodhya, sans polythene, to greet visitors, says chief minister
LUCKNOW UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Ram Temple inauguration day on January 22 should be celebrated as a “national festival” and issued instructions that liquor shops and educational institutions across the state be closed on the day.
During his first visit of 2024 to Ayodhya on Tuesday, he directed officials to implement the “Kumbh model of cleanliness” in Ayodhya and ensure that the “Ramnagri” must appear as the cleanest and most beautiful city.
“Dust should not be visible on the roads, and toilets must be cleaned daily,” he said. He also directed that all government buildings should remain decorated for the occasion and a spectacular fireworks show be organized in the evening in Ayodhya and elsewhere to enhance the festive spirit.
“The Pran Pratishtha of the new idol of Shri Ram Lalla in Shri Ayodhya Dham is a ‘national festival’ for the entire nation. After centuries of waiting, this auspicious time has come. On this occasion, all government buildings should be decorated in a divine form. Instructions have been given to declare a holiday on January 22 in all the educational institutions in UP. Come, let’s celebrate Ramotsav together!,”Adityanath posted on X.
The All-India Jamiatul Quresh, a body of meat sellers, which has already announced closure of meat shops in Lucknow, was mulling a similar closure across UP on the day.
These announcements were made during his meeting with officials in Ayodhya where he arrived on Tuesday to supervise arrangements for January 22.
Adityanath emphasised on the availability of hotels, dharamshalas and homestay options in Ayodhya, saying there was a need to increase the number of tent cities.
“The tent city should be on the lines of Kumbh and spread out over 25-50 acres in Ayodhya,” he ordered.
He said health centres, with 10 beds each, should be set up in all tent cities. Instructions for availability of ambulances and specialist doctors in Ayodhya had also been issued for January 22.
“Today, I have inspected arrangements for the tent city…these are good. Ensure best of arrangements for visitors,” the CM told officials.
He also asked them to ensure that Ayodhya be made “dust free” ahead of the inauguration and people’s cooperation be sought in making the city “polythene free”.
The chief minister directed the installation of multilingual signages across the city, covering languages from the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and the six official languages of the United Nations to ensure that people coming from different parts of the country and world were not put to any inconvenience due to language issues.
Special green corridors for better movement of VIPs to Ayodhya from Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Prayagraj had also been ordered.
