Ayodhya riverfront to get 100-metre statue of Ram
The Yogi Adityanathled government in Uttar Pradesh is planning to install a 100-metre statue of Lord Ram in a warrior pose on the River Sarayu in Ayodhya, as part of a plan to put the temple town on the religious tourism map.
Principal secretary, tourism, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the statue would come up in Ayodhya only after National Green Tribunal (NGT) clearance. Awasthi, who is in Ayodhya, said that 100-metre statue is just at the conceptual level and would be on the pattern of Ram’s statue at Bali and statue of Shiva in Mauritius.
Awasthi made an elaborate presentation before governor Ram Naik on Monday about the details of the integrated tourism development programme that will cost approximately ₹195.89 crore and the grand Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya this year. Of this, ₹133.70 crore has been sanctioned by the union government.
Awasthi said in the presentation titled, Nav Ayodhya, that a ‘deepotsav’ would be organised in Ayodhya at Ram Ki Paidi on October 18, a day before Diwali.
Over 1,71,000 earthen lamps will be lit to celebrate the festival that marks the return of Ram to Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years in the presence of governor Ram Naik, CM Yogi Adityanath, state tourism minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi, union minister of state for tourism Alphons Kannanthanan, and union culture minister Mahesh Sharma.
This will be Adityanath’s third visit to Ayodhya after taking over as CM. He added that a grand procession symbolising Ram’s return would be taken out which would be received by Adityanath at the Ram Katha Park.
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das of Mani Ram Das Chavni Peeth is likely to lead the procession, being taken out for the first time during Diwali in Ayodhya. Hundreds of saints will participate and the whole of Ayodhya will be decked up for the occasion.
A symbolic ‘rajyabhishek’ (coronation ceremony) is also planned. After the ceremony, the governor and chief minister will lay the foundation stone for various development projects in the temple town and participate in the aarti on the banks of Sarayu.
A 30-minute laser show on Ram’s journey from Ayodhya to Lanka at the Saryu ghat will be the highlight of the programme.
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