Ram Lalla’s consecration to be unprecedented: U.P. CM

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said Ram temple in Ayodhya will be a ‘Rashtra Mandir’, symbolising cultural, spiritual and social unity of the country. The consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 will be unprecedented and unforgettable, he said.

In a high-level meeting, Yogi reviewed progress of various projects which are underway in Ayodhya and the preparations for the consecration ceremony. “The whole world is eagerly looking towards Ayodhya. Everyone wants to come to Ayodhya. The whole country is imbued with the spirit of Lord Ram. This is also an opportunity for global branding of Uttar Pradesh,” the CM added.

“The state government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring a pleasant and satisfying experience for the guests coming for the consecration ceremony as well as tourists and devotees visiting Ayodhya after the ceremony. With public cooperation, safety, convenience and cleanliness standards of Ayodhya will be ensured,” Yogi said.

“Only a few days are left for the completion of the much awaited ritual of enshrining Ram Lalla in the grand and divine Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. The historic programme of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration) is an occasion of joy, pride and self-satisfaction for crores of Sanatan believers,” the CM said.

“Deepotsav will be celebrated at all temples on January 22 evening. Every Sanatan believer will welcome Ram Lalla by lighting the Ram Jyoti in their homes and establishments. This is all unprecedented. It is an emotional moment,” he added.

“It is our good fortune that we reside in the region where Lord Ram incarnated. The whole world is eagerly looking towards Ayodhya today. Along with the consecration of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, there is an opportunity for global branding of Uttar Pradesh,” the CM said.

“After the consecration, a large number of devotees/tourists will visit Ayodhya every day. All arrangements for excellent hospitality should be made so that they can have other-worldly experience upon their arrival in Uttar Pradesh,” Yogi added.

“Dignitaries from all over the country are arriving to participate in the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla. On such a historic occasion, the entire Ayodhya should be decorated grandly. In coordination with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Teerth Kshetra Trust and central agencies, all necessary arrangements should be made for traffic management and welcoming of guests as per the protocol,” he said.

The CM directed the officers that there should be no compromise on security, convenience and cleanliness of Ayodhya. “There should be continuous strong security arrangements in Ayodhya during the consecration ceremony and thereafter. The Safe City project should be implemented immediately. The CCTV cameras should be installed and activated before January 22 and Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) should be made functional,” he said.

“Cleanliness is crucial for hospitality and everyone will have to work to ensure that the city is clean. The administration should take support of the people and deploy additional manpower for the sanitation work. There should be no dirt of filth on the main road or streets. Arrangements for waste management should be made and dustbins should be placed at various places in the city,” the CM further said.

Restaurants and stores run by the state government in Ayodhya should be established in the name of ‘Mata Shabari’. Similarly, night shelter will be set up as ‘Nishadraj Guhya Guest House’. Similarly, other buildings will also be named after the characters of Ramayana period, Yogi said.

The CM said after January 22, devotees from all over the world will arrive in Ayodhya. For their convenience, signage in different languages should be installed throughout the city. Signage should be in the languages included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution and 9 languages of the United Nations, he added.

Smart signage should be installed on Prayagraj-Ayodhya, Gorakhpur-Ayodhya, Lucknow-Ayodhya, Varanasi-Ayodhya routes. Information should be disseminated in different languages. There should be no encroachment on these routes, Yogi said.

There should be cleanliness and no street vendors should be there. There should be availability of crane and ambulance on the highways. Instructions should be given to the concerned districts by the chief minister’s office, he added.

“Preparations for transportation of devotees/tourists from Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Lucknow should be made by Volvo buses and helicopter service. Three helipads are ready in Ayodhya, they should be properly utilised,” the CM said.

There are six railway stations located near Ayodhya. The transport department, in coordination with the railway stations, should make permanent arrangements of buses for convenient travel of the tourists/devotees to Ayodhya, Yogi said.

The encroachments should be removed in the city and railings should be installed on both sides of Naya Ghat to Tedhi Bazaar Road. The railing should also be decorated, he added.

Cultural events

The CM said cultural presentations should be made in Ayodhya by eminent artistes from India and abroad during the consecration ceremony. ‘Cultural Art Boat Tour’ for the tourists should be organised on boats in the River Saryu, he said.

On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, cultural programmes like bhajan-kirtan should be organised at all spiritual places and temples of the state. Along with lamp lighting/lamp donation in temples, programmes like Ramkatha discourse, continuous recitation of Ramayana/Ramcharitmanas /Sundara Kanda etc should also be organised, the CM said.

Nagar Sankirtans should be organised in the municipal bodies in which Ram Mandir Rath and Kalash Yatras should be organised in the cities by including local bhajan/kirtan groups, he said.

Programmes like bhajan-kirtan, reading of Anavast Ramayana/Ramcharitmanas /Sundara Kanda etc should also be organised in the temples of Ayodhya from March 14 to 24, 2024, Yogi said.

“Ramayana is a wonderful immortal story based on the life of Lord Ram that teaches us the true meaning of devotion, duty, relationships, religion and karma. The ideals of Ram are being established among the people through organisation of Ram Katha by story tellers in the country and abroad. The sermons and story telling events should be organised in Ram’s city Ayodhya,” Yogi said.

“The Ramlilas staged in different states as well as across the world based on the traditional forms of Lord Ram should be presented. It has rich culture in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Karnataka, Sikkim, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh. Ramlila troupes from Nepal, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia should also be invited,” he said.

“Bhajans based on Lord Ram sung by famous bhajan singers of the country should be organised on the bhajan sandhya stage in Ayodhya. Local bhajan singers should also be promoted during the cultural events,” Yogi said.