Ram statue for sure, if not the temple yet
The Yogi Adityanath government plans to install a statue of Lord Rama on banks of the River Saryu and organise a grand Diwali in Ayodhya by illuminating the town and lighting 1.71 lakh earthen diyas.
Given that the BJP has frittered away much of its goodwill in the middle class and small business households by its chaotic demonetisation drive and halfbaked GST, a Ram temple could surely help galvanise alienated voters. At least, in UP.
It needs no great of political sagacity to figure out that cornering a large chunk of seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2019 is crucial to retaining power. No wonder, Yogi Adityanath is presiding over the state fortunes and not a technocrat like Manoj Sinha.
The statue will help the party showcase Ayodhya as a cultural destination and, more important, as a symbol of Hindu insurgence in the cow belt. The Rs 200 crore statue will be located not far from the disputed Ram JanmabhoomiBabri Masjid site.
Interestingly, the renewed interest in Ayodhya has come even as the UP tourism department omitted a mention of the Taj Mahal in its tourism booklet, ignoring the historic monument that is a huge revenue generator for the state, apart from being one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’.
According to a TV channel, the height of the statue has been proposed at 100 metres; the measurements have not been finalized yet as the National Green Tribunal is yet to give a no-objection certificate. The proposal was sent to Governor Ram Naik after a presentation by Tourism Principal Secretary, Awanish Awasthi. However, the state government is yet to ask for an NOC from the NGT.
A series of programmes have been scheduled for October 18 to celebrate Diwali in the town. A "deepotsav" will be organised on 'Ram Ki Paidi' where 1.71 lakh earthen lamps will be lit. Prominent building and ghats will also be illuminated to attract tourists. The objective of the entire programme will be to promote Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama, as a tourist destination.
A heritage walk, a yatra reminiscing return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, and launch of several schemes by chief minister and other dignitaries will be part of the programme. A grand "aarti" of River Saryu will also be performed by the chief minister and the governor and a laser show will be held on the banks of the river.
The practice of holding Ram Leela in Ayodhya was started by the then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in May 2004 but was stopped during Akhilesh Yadav's regime after the culture department refused to grant aid for the same. The Yogi government has re-started the shows after sanctioning a handsome budget for the Ram Leela.