Ayodhya not Ayodhya without Ram: President
Kovind offers prayers to Ram Lalla
LUCKNOW: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday became the first Indian head of state to visit Ayodhya where he offered prayers to Ram Lalla (the child Ram) at the makeshift, prefabricated temple on the Ram Janmabhoomi campus.
He also inaugurated a fourday Ramayan Conclave where he stated that Ayodhya is not Ayodhya without Lord Ram.
During his visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi campus, a shawl and a miniature replica of the upcoming Ram temple were presented to Kovind who interacted with the priests briefly and planted a sapling
After paying obeisance to Lord Ram, President toured the Ram Janmabhoomi campus. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Champat Rai, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, apprised the President about ongoing foundation work for construction of the Ram temple. Before that, he also offered prayers at the Hanumangarhi shrine, about 2 km away. The President was presented with a silver crown at the Hanumangarhi temple. He visited the site where Ram temple is being constructed in Ayodhya.
In his address after inaugurating the Ramayan Conclave, the President said, “Ayodhya exists where there is Ram. Lord Ram resides permanently in this city and, therefore, in the true sense this place is Ayodhya.”He also shared his views on Ayodhya, the relevance and importance of Ramayan on the occasion.
“The literal meaning of Ayo
dhya is the one who is impossible to wage a war against,” he said.
“The Ramayan also offers a model code of conduct that guides us in all aspects of life,” he said.
Highlighting the love of Lord Ram towards tribals, he said, “During his days of exile, Lord Ram did not call the armies of Ayodhya and Mithila to fight the war. He gathered the Khols, Bheels, Vaanars and formed his army. He strengthened love and friendship with the tribals.”
“Ram Katha is enacted in many countries of the world. The Ramleela of Bali island of Indonesia is famous. Non-resident Indians have kept the Ram Katha and Ramleela alive in many countries including the Maldives, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal, Cambodia and Suriname,” the president said.
He also referred to Ayutthaya, a city in Thailand.
The President said the projects related to the Ramayan circuit being developed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Centre which were inaugurated on Sunday would provide various amenities to tourists and devotees. He noted the Tulsi Smarak Bhawan project would help in the ongoing global research on Ramayana and Ram Katha. He also noted that an extensive encyclopedia was being prepared under the aegis of Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan, which would be a collection of material related to Ramayan and Indian culture available across the world.