President Ram Nath Kovind will come to Uttar Pradesh on a four-day visit from August 26 and he will be the first President of India to visit Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Officials said here that President Kovind would reach Lucknow on August 26 and return to Delhi on August 29 after paying a visit to Ayodhya.
According to the official programme, the President will commence his tour by attending the ninth convocation of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University here on August 26.
On August 27, he will participate in the diamond jubilee celebrations of Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey UP Sainik School in Sarojini Nagar. The President, during his visit to the country’s pioneer institution, will unveil a six-foot-tall bronze statue of former chief minister of UP, Sampurnanand, founder of Sainik School. He will also inaugurate a 1,000 capacity auditorium named after Sampurnanand.
On August 28, the President will leave for Gorakhpur, where he will lay the foundation stone of UP's first AYUSH University and will also inaugurate a hospital of the Gorakhnath University. He will return to Lucknow the same day.
On August 29, the President will go to Ayodhya on a special train and offer prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. On the same day he is expected to return to New Delhi.
UP Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will accompany the President at all the functions to be attended by him.
Ram Nath Kovind will be the first President of the country to pray at the Ram Lalla temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The President will travel to Ayodhya from Lucknow by presidential special train, the second time in two months.
The President will be accorded a warm welcome by the seers at a special function proposed at the Ram Katha Park. He will also inaugurate the Ramayan Mela at Ram Katha Park.
The President will offer prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple and visit Kanak Bhawan. Kovind will witness the ongoing construction of Ram temple and pray at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple.
The presidential train will cover a distance of 135 km between Lucknow and Ayodhya in around two hours and 20 minutes.
According to the officials, the President will leave for Ayodhya from Charbagh railway station around 9:10 am on August 29 and the presidential train is expected to reach Ayodhya railway station around 11:30 am.
As per the programme, after reaching Ayodhya, the President will leave for Ram Janmabhoomi and offer prayers at the makeshift Ram temple.
The President will return to Lucknow the same day. The presidential train will leave Ayodhya around 3:50 pm and is expected to reach Lucknow around 6:20 pm.
All railway stations between Lucknow and Ayodhya will be put on high alert. In Lucknow, the President will stay at the Raj Bhawan.
The special presidential train from New Delhi is expected to reach Lucknow soon senior railway officials are working overtime to decorate the Ayodhya and Lucknow stations along with others stations between Lucknow and Ayodhya.