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Yogi credits PM Modi for Ram Mandir, reveals vision for transformed Ayodhya

Yogi said soon an international airport in Ayodhya will connect the temple town directly with South Korea and other countries.

Updated on: Nov 13, 2020, 20:21:58 IST
Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
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Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday gave credit for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the PM was the one implementing the ideology of Ram Rajya.

Devotees light earthen lamps on the bank of Saryu River during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya. A record 5.51 lakh lamps have been lit in Ayodhya on Diwali. (PTI Photo)
Devotees light earthen lamps on the bank of Saryu River during Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya. A record 5.51 lakh lamps have been lit in Ayodhya on Diwali. (PTI Photo)

“It is due to PM Modi’s planning and strategy that Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya after a long wait of five decades,” said Yogi while addressing a gathering at Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya.

Yogi said it was Modi’s dream to develop Ayodhya as the “Vedic Ramayana City” and it should be the most beautiful city.

“Our generation is not only fortunate to see the start of the construction of Ram temple here but we also attended the historic event. In the struggle of 500 years, many saints passed away with a dream to see the start of construction. I thank PM Modi, who is the one who implemented the ideology of Ram Rajya,” he said.

Yogi, UP governor Anandiben Patel and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya were in Ayodhya along with several UP ministers for the fourth Deepotsav celebrations.

This is the first Deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya after the bhumi pujan of Ram temple on August 5 in which Modi was the chief guest. But participation of locals was restricted in all the events due to Covid-19 and entry of outsiders into Ayodhya was banned. “We all wanted to see Ram temple. This task has been accomplished by PM Modi,” said Yogi.

“Whenever I used to come to Ayodhya and talk about development, saints used to ask me about Ram temple,” the chief minister said.

“PM Modi came to Ayodhya even in Covid-19 by following all protocols for bhumi pujan of Ram temple,” said the CM. Yogi said Ayodhya’s branding is now through the Deepotsav event.

Yogi and Patel later launched a website -- https://virtualdeepotsav.com -- for people to take part in the Deepotsav virtually. The CM also launched a cover on Deepotsav prepared by Ram Manohar Lohia Awadh University, Faizabad.

Without naming anyone, the CM attacked the previous state government.

Also Read: PM Modi’s dream to make Ayodhya ‘Vedic Ramayana City’: Adityanath

“This government is developing panchi kosi, chaudah kosi and chaurasi kosi parikrama routes in Ayodhya. But previous governments used to ban them,” he said.

“This Deepotsav, a record of lighting 5.51 lakh diyas will be created. Next year this figure will be 7.51 lakh,” he asserted.

The CM pointed out that due to Covid-19 pandemic, celebrations in this Deepotsav have been curtailed. “Otherwise, celebrations would have been organized on a grand scale,” he said.

Yogi said soon an international airport in Ayodhya will connect the temple town directly with Korea (South Korea) and other countries. He also announced that soon a road route from Ayodhya to Janakpur (in Nepal) and Ayodhya to Chitrakoot will be made operational.

Earlier, replicating the return journey of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, along with his younger brother Lakshman and wife Sita by a Pushpak Viman, artistes descended at Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya by a helicopter. Yogi and Patel received them and took them to the main venue in the park.

Also Read: Ayodhya gears up for another Guinness record on Deepotsav

Like Bharat welcomed Lord Ram on his return to Ayodhya after his 14-year exile and killing of demon king Ravan, Yogi and others carried out a ceremony symbolising ‘Raj Tilak’ or coronation of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.

The Deepotsav celebrations began in Ayodhya with a tableaux procession from Saket College to Ram Katha Park depicting Ram’s return to Ayodhya from exile.

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