Gorakshapeeth, located in Gorakhpur, has an old and very close relationship with Ayodhya. In the last 100 years, whichever movement for the Ram temple took place, Gorakshapeeth was the focal point right from the days when Guru Brahmaleen Mahant Digvijaynath headed the bench to the period his successor and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s mentor Guru Brahmaleen Mahant Avaidyanath. Brahmaleen Mahant Avaidyanath was also the office-bearer of the two apex committees formed for the Ram temple movement.
“Peethadheeshwar Yogi Adityanath is emotionally attached to Ayodhya and the people of Ayodhya also consider the chief minister as their own. As a Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur and successor of Brahmaleen Mahant Avaidyanath and then as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath has always accorded priority to Ayodhya,” said Neelesh Sharma, who is writing a book on Yogi Adityanath.
The holy city is becoming more and more special with each passing year since he became the chief minister of the state for the first time in 2017. In 2017, he started the celebration of Deepotsav in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali, attracting global attention. Barring the COVID-19 period, the grandeur of the event has increased every year, setting new records in terms of number of diyas lit up as well as footfall of tourists. And this year, it will be even bigger in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the first Deepotsav in 2017, 1.71 lakh diyas were lit, which increased to 3.01 lakh, 4.04 lakh, 6.06 lakh and 9.41 lakh in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively, setting a new record each year and getting entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. This year, the target is to light 15 lakh lamps.
Similarly, the number of tourists visiting Ayodhya has also increased significantly due to the branding of the birthplace of Lord Ram with Deepotsav.
“The number of tourists visiting the holy city in 2017, 2018 and 2019 was 1,78,57,858, 1,95,63,159 and 2,04,91,724 respectively, registering a consistent growth. In the COVID-19 pandemic period of 2020-2021, only 61,96,148 and 1,57,43,790 tourists visited Ayodhya. However, it again rebounded in 2022, with 2,21,38,805 tourists visiting Ayodhya till August 2022, which is a record in itself,” Principal Secretary (Tourism) Mukesh Meshram said.
During the five Deepotsavs so far, Ramlila troupes from several foreign countries, apart from other Indian states, have performed in Ayodhya. For example, Ramlila parties of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Fiji as well as Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal have performed according to their traditions in Ayodhya.