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Ayodhya braves cold, fog to give warm welcome to PM

The temple town resonated with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Modi-Modi” as locals assembled on both sides of the 13-km Ram Path for a glimpse of the Prime Minister.

Updated on: Dec 30, 2023, 19:02:12 IST
By , Ayodhya
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Braving cold and fog, the people of Ayodhya gave a rousing reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived here on Saturday to inaugurate a slew of projects and held a roadshow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during road show at Rampath in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh India on Saturday December 30, 2023. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during road show at Rampath in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh India on Saturday December 30, 2023. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

The temple town, especially the main vantage point at Tulsi Udyan on Ram Path, resonated with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Modi-Modi” as locals assembled on both sides of the 13-km Ram Path for a glimpse of the Prime Minister.

As the Prime Minister reached Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham, governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath welcomed him at the airstrip.

Thereafter, Modi left the airport for the roadshow.

As his convoy entered Ayodhya Dham (old Ayodhya town), he waved at those waiting on both sides of the road. The crowd responded by showering rose petals on the Prime Minister.

As the temple town resonated with slogans, even children joined in during the journey from Dharmapath to Rampath to reach the Ayodhya Dham Railway Station.

Winning the hearts of the entire Ayodhya populace with a radiant smile during the road show, Modi greeted the children too.

Acknowledging the unprecedented welcome in Ramnagari, Modi bowed his head and greeted the people.

The grand welcome was accorded to him about three weeks before the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla at the Ram temple on January 22.

The convoy moved at about 10 km per hour and Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel ran alongside the PM’s vehicle.

At the Hanuman Garhi tri-crossing, Naga sadhus of the historic Hanuman Garhi temple too showered rose petals.

As PM Modi turned towards the Ayodhya Dham Railway Station from here, an image of Lord Ganesh made of flowers drew his attention.

He inaugurated the Ayodhya Dham railway station and took a round of its main building.

Governor Anandiben Patel, chief minister Yogi Adityanath and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw were present on the occasion.

Thereafter, the PM’s convoy returned to the airport taking the same route.

On the way back, PM halted at the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk where sadhus again welcomed him by showering rose petals.

FOLK ARTISTES WELCOME PM

During PM Modi’s roadshow, around 50 stages were set up where 1400 artistes performed folk dances.

Five stages were also set up at Gate No. 3 of the airport, and between the airport and Saket Petrol Pump. Along the Dharma Path, the artistes presented their performances on 26 stages. Captivating everyone, the programme featured conch blowing and playing of drums. Khajan Singh and Mahipal, along with their team, made an impression with their performance of ‘Bam Rasiya’. Mathura’s popular ‘Mayur’ dance also added charm to the occasion. Several renowned local artistes from Ayodhya presented their performances. ‘Awadhi’, ‘Vantangiya’ and ‘Faruwahi’, ‘Bean-Bansuri’ dance of Palwal (Haryana) and ‘Chakri’ dance of Rajasthan mesmerised the people in Ayodhya.

Additionally, a massive stage was set up at Lata Chowk where flowers were showered on Modi’s convoy.

A big stage was set up at the Lata Chowk, where a flower shower was arranged for PM Modi’s convoy.

CM Adityanath briefed the PM about the Lata crossing during his visit there.

Thereafter, the PM’s convoy reached Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham. After inaugurating the airport, he took a round of the main terminal building.

Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was also present.

  • Pawan Dixit
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Pawan Dixit

    Pawan Dixit, Assistant Editor, brings over 20 years of frontline reporting experience to the newsroom. A specialist on Uttar Pradesh politics and governance, he has reported from the ground across the state’s most consequential stories. He cut his teeth in eastern UP, spending 15 years covering the region. Based in Varanasi, he reported the 2012 UP Assembly polls and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that reshaped the state’s political map. Moving to Lucknow in 2016, he has since led coverage of the 2017 and 2022 UP Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His reporting tracks the BJP’s strategy, opposition moves, and voter sentiment across all 75 districts. Pawan has been a constant presence in Ayodhya since 2016. He reported the entire arc of the Ram Mandir movement — from the legal fight to the Supreme Court verdict, through temple construction, to the inauguration. He continues to track every development at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. On the state beat, he covers the BJP, the Industrial Development Department, and handles key outstation political assignments. He also reports major cases from the district court, Lucknow bench of the High Court, and the State Information Commission. Along with this, he also reports on NGT's important decisions related to UP. Known for sharp sourcing and clear analysis, Pawan connects politics, policy, infrastructure and faith — the forces driving UP today. He has reported developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir movement since 2016. The Supreme Court's Ram Mandir verdict, temple construction and the its opening have been reported by him. He reports all developments in Ayodhya and Ram Mandir Trust. He covers state BJP, Industrial development department, outstation political assignments, reports special cases from district court, high court and state information commissionRead More