Declaring that the government was committed to honouring every individual who had contributed to the nation's development in any manner, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk in Ayodhya.

Paying rich tributes to the Bharat Ratna awardee and legendary singer on her 93rd birth anniversary, Yogi Adityanath said that the great Lata didi dedicated her entire life to art and music and sang most ‘bhajans’ of Lord Rama.

“I am honoured to inaugurate the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk leading to the grand Ram Temple Road in Ayodhya today. It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest Indian icons,” Yogi said on Wednesday.

The chief minister, in the presence of Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, UP Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh and other dignitaries, inaugurated the spectacular intersection on the banks of the Saryu river, featuring a 40-foot-long and 12-metre-high ‘Veena’ weighing 14 tonnes, 92 lotuses depicting Lata Mangeshkar’s 92 years of existence and seven pillars representing the seven notes (saat sur).

The chief minister said: “Under the inspiration of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lata didi’s first memorial has been built in the holy city of Lord Ram to whom she devoted her entire life. Just like this intersection, every road in Ayodhya, every corner should be developed as grandly to present the city as the most beautiful one before the entire world.”

Stating that the double-engine government was determined to develop every place in Uttar Pradesh having religious and spiritual significance, Yogi Adityanath said, “The government will continue to develop our religious places, however, public participation is a must to fulfill the vision. Everyone must contribute towards a clean, hygienic, plastic-free and beautiful Ayodhya.”

The chief minister continued, “We must take forward the beautification  work of Ayodhya in a time-bound manner so that as the under-construction grand Ram temple gets ready, the world witnesses Ayodhya as the most well-planned and beautiful city as it was during ‘Tretayuga.”

Yogi Adityanath went on to say that this ‘Deepotsava’, along with the grand celebrations by the government, every house in Ayodhya must light a ‘diya’ and add to the grandeur of the holy festival.

Maintaining that Ayodhya underwent massive transformation in the span of the last five and half years, the chief minister said that the developed and widened roads, beautified ‘ghats’ and other places in Ayodhya had impressed everyone coming to the city lately.

“We must take forward our responsibility with commitment,” he added.

“Prime Minister Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission and today our villages and cities are cleaner, whereas eight years ago, the first thing people witnessed on visiting villages and cities was filth and garbage,” Yogi said.

Furthermore, Yogi said that not just Ayodhya, the entire state was being developed. He said the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, had been revamped and it witnessed crores of devotees during the holy month of Shravan.

“Development of religious and spiritual places by the government is not only a means of respecting the religious faith of the public but also a medium of generating employment opportunities for the youth in the state,” the chief minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said that Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar was a magician and her music touched souls. “Classics like ‘Ae mere watan ke logo…’ will continue to inspire generations and will fill them with patriotism. Lata didi’s life is no less than an inspiration for all,” Reddy said.

The Union minister added that being a Telugu speaker, he also remembered Lataji's songs in Telugu language and said that the legendary singer mastered the art of conveying emotions through her voice in different languages.

He also expressed happiness over the efforts being made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with the inspiration of Prime Minister Modi for the overall development of Ayodhya.

Ayodhya special issue magazine published by Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan and 10 volumes of Global Encyclopedia of Ramayana were also released on the occasion.

Lata Mangeshkar’s family members Adinath and Krishna Mangeshkar, who were special guests, were seen getting emotional during the inauguration of the ‘chowk’.

Sharing his memories, Adinath said that Lata didi's day started with worshipping Lord Ram, and that he was overwhelmed to see her divine and grand memorial built in the holy city of Ayodhya.