Ram temple bhoomi pujan anniversary: Yogi Adityanath to visit Ayodhya today

On August 5 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Ram Mandir's bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will visit Ayodhya on Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the bhoomi pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) of the Ram temple. It is likely to be a low-key affair due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Special prayers would be offered and yajnas (oblations) organised on the occasion in Ayodhya.

Adityanath, who is spending the night at Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhnath temple would leave for Ayodhya by a helicopter on Thursday noon, officials said. (File Photo / HT)

“Chief minister Yogi Adityanath would be there on the occasion to participate in a special puja. He will also offer a Ram naami (a cloth with Lord Ram’s name inscribed on it) and perform aarti at the temple,” Satyendra Das, the head priest of the temple. "Ram Lalla (baby Ram) would don new clothes and special poori-sabzi and kheer prasad would be distributed among the devotees,” Das added.

Adityanath, who is spending the night at Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhnath temple would leave for Ayodhya by a helicopter on Thursday noon, officials said. “After landing at the Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya, the chief minister would attend a government function at Vasudev Ghat to mark Anna Mahotsav before arriving at the Ram Janmbhoomi site for holding special prayers on the occasion,” a senior official privy to the chief minister’s plan said.

After the prayers, Adityanath is expected to gather details about the temple construction and leave for Lucknow.

On August 5 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Ram Mandir's bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya.