Ayodhya (UP), Nov 11: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandiben Patel Saturday took part in pulling a chariot carrying artistes depicting the fabled return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and brother Lakshman to Ayodhya on a Pushpak Viman’ after 14 years of exile.
Flowers were also showered on them from a helicopter.
According to an official statement issued on Saturday, Lord Shri Ram’s brothers Bharat and Shatrughan welcomed them. From the helipad, Lord Shri Ram boarded the chariot and proceeded towards the venue of Ramkatha Park along with Mata Janaki, his three brothers, Lord Hanuman and Guru Vashishtha.
The CM extended his greetings on Diwali and said, “We all are fortunate that we are witnessing the festival of lights here. This festival of lights is being broadcast live in more than 100 countries of the world. The world is watching how Lord Shri Ram would have come to Ayodhya in Pushpak Viman thousands of years ago and how the gods would have showered flowers on him from the sky.” Recalling when the Deepotsav programme was started in 2017, he said, “Today, after 500 years of sacrifices, movements and campaigns, Lord Shri Ram is going to sit in his grand temple. Now it is the responsibility of the people of Ayodhya that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes on January 22 to enshrine Lord Shri Ram in his grand temple, his welcome in Ayodhya should also be historic,” he said.
The CM said Ayodhya will have ten times more tourists after Makar Sankranti and the inauguration of the Ram temple as compared to present and urged residents of the city to start preparations from now with the resolution of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.
“Ayodhya is the favourite city of Lord Shri Ram and the double engine government is determined to develop it as the most beautiful city in the world,” he said, adding that everybody is witnessing the new Ayodhya being built.
“Currently, work is being done on 178 development projects worth Rs 30,500 crores. If the participation of the private sector is also added, then in the coming time, projects worth Rs 50,000 crores will be seen taking shape here. This will create lakhs of jobs,” he said.
The CM also stressed that the prime minister has been realising the vision of Ramrajya in the last nine-and-a-half years.
Apart from Governor Anandi Ben Patel and the chief minister, ministers Jaiveer Singh, Rakesh Sachan and Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra performed the Aarti and paid their respects.
Chief Minister Adityanath also performed the symbolic coronation of Lord Shri Ram.
On this occasion, the governor and the chief minister released a coffee table book based on the Deepotsav of Ayodhya.
After the formation of the BJP government under the leadership of Adityanath in 2017, for the first time a grand festival of lights was started in Ayodhya and 51 thousand lamps were lit.
This is the seventh time that the Deepotsav festival is being organised here. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated in this event.
In the 2022, 15.76 lakh lamps were lit at Ram ki Pauri in Ayodhya making a Guinness world record. (PTI)
