Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu, along with his cabinet colleagues, MLAs and other officials were visibly overwhelmed after having Ram Lalla’s darshan in the grand Ayodhya temple on Tuesday.

The 70-member team, headed by the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister, was the first political delegation from a state to have visited Ayodhya after the consecration ceremony, which was held on January 22 last.

At the outset, the dignitaries were accorded a guard of honour at the Maharshi Valmiki Airport. Subsequently, they visited the Ram temple and paid obeisance to the deity.

The welcoming committee, led by Agriculture & Ayodhya Incharge Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, alongside district panchayat president Roli Singh, Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi, former mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay, and District Magistrate Nitish Kumar, extended greetings to Khandu, his cabinet ministers and others.

In a display of cultural richness, local artistes dished out traditional folk dances in the honour of the guests. Adequate security arrangements were made to ensure the safety and comfort of the Arunachal Pradesh delegation.

Talking to the media, Khandu said that they were in Ayodhya to offer prayers at the Ram temple. Recalling his visit to Ayodhya two years ago when the construction was going on, he expressed elation at witnessing the completion of the temple.

Khandu further disclosed plans for establishing Arunachal Bhawan in Ayodhya, underscoring the significance of the Ram temple’s completion after five centuries.  “We have written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the construction of Arunachal Bhawan in Ayodhya,” he said, adding it was a milestone heralding a new era of development and prosperity for India.