Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the idol consecration ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Lalla Temple in January. The CM highlighted the ongoing development projects worth `32,000 crore in Ayodhya, aiming to make it one of the world’s most beautiful cities, a State Government statement quoting him said.
When one of the key milestones, the installation of Ram Lalla in the new temple takes place in January “after a wait of 500 years”, Ayodhya’s significance on a global scale will increase, he said, adding that the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the event. Ram Lalla is the idol of Lord Ram, in his five-year-old avatar.
“Ayodhya holds a special place in the hearts of millions of people. The people have a strong sense of Lord Ram’s presence in their lives, and the construction of the temple will be a manifestation of their devotion and belief,” Yogi said at the programme organised to celebrate the completion of nine years of Modi Government at the Centre.
The CM set a target of lighting 21 lakh lamps during the upcoming Deepotsav and called for lighting of lamps in every household of Ayodhya, in addition to the ghats, math-linked temples, Suryakund, and Bharat Kund. “The preparations for this should commence from now itself as it sets the stage for the arrival of Lord Ram to his home next year,” he said.
Yogi also underlined the Government’s efforts in improving Ayodhya’s infrastructure. Adityanath said that within the next four to six months, roads in Ayodhya will resemble Delhi’s Kartavya Path.
“In the past, the city road and rail networks were poor. However, due to recent development, the journey from Gorakhpur and Lucknow to Ayodhya, which previously took five to six hours, can now be completed in just one hour,” he said.