Lucknow: The deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya would be the grandest this year, with a target to light 21 lakh earthen diyas before Ram Lalla was enthroned at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple in January next year, said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday.
To note, this would set a new record. Last year, 15. 76 lakh diyas illuminated Ayodhya on deepotsav.
Addressing his first rally at the historic Bharat Kund in Ayodhya ahead of the 2024 lok sabha polls, Yogi Adityanath exhorted officials to prepare for the grandest deepotsav celebration this year.
PM Narendra Modi is expected to be the chief guest at the grand opening of Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January 2024.
The rally was organised to mark completion of nine years of Modi government.
“Next year, Sri Ram will be enthroned in his home (Ram Temple). Preparations for this event will start from deepotsav this year,” said the chief minister, giving clear instructions to officials during the rally.
“This year 21 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) will be lighted. Each ghat, mutt, temple, Surya Kund, Bharat Kund and every house will be lit up with diyas,” he said.
The Yogi Adityanath government has been organising deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali every year since it came to power in March 2017.
{{/usCountry}}The Yogi Adityanath government has been organising deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali every year since it came to power in March 2017.
{{/usCountry}}Stressing on Ayodhya’s importance for his government, the CM said: “At present, projects of around ₹32,000 crore are underway in Ayodhya. In no city across the country are projects in such a large number underway.”
He added that the entire world would be attracted to Ayodhya when PM Narendra Modi would enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of Ram Temple after 500 years.
The CM also listed the ongoing development projects in Ayodhya. He mentioned upcoming international airport, railway station and other projects.
A short film on the ongoing development work in Ayodhya was also shown.
Yogi Adityanath also took the opportunity to attack the opposition. “Earlier, there was no road, no train (connectivity) in Ayodhya. It used to take five -six hours to reach Ayodhya from Gorakhpur and Lucknow. Now, this journey is covered in one hour,” said the CM.
“People avoided taking Ayodhya’s name six years ago. But this government is striving to ensure its overall development,” he said.
“Ayodhya will be made the world’s most beautiful city,” he assured the gathering at Bharat Kund. “In the next four -six months, Ayodhya’s roads will be like Rajpath (in New Delhi),” he said.
Yogi also apprised the gathering of the ongoing development work in Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Shrawasti, Kashi and Kushinagar.
Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Ayodhya MP Lallu Singh, mayor Girish Pati Tripathi, BJP MLAs from Ayodhya and others were present at the rally.