Ayodhya set to become one of the world’s most prominent tourist destinations, says U.P. CM

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stressed upon the tourism opportunities in U.P. and hailed the figure of over 310 million tourists visiting the State last year

Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, takes a selfie during his visit to Ayodhya recently. | Photo Credit: AP

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that Ayodhya is poised to become one of the world’s most magnificent tourist destinations, following the consecration ceremony at Ram Temple on January 22.

“The double-engine government is actively working on the development of religious tourist sites across U.P. from Ayodhya to Kashi to Mathura,” Mr. Adityanath said at the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University on the occasion of National Youth Day, the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

The CM stressed upon the tourism opportunities in U.P. and hailed the figure of over 310 million tourists visiting the State last year. “Our State witnessed over 31.5 crore tourists in the last one year, leading to diverse employment opportunities in the state. In the past, even one-fifty devotees could not stand together in Kashi Vishwanath. With the construction of the corridor, now fifty thousand devotees can gather and actively participate in religious events at the sacred site,” he added.

Mr. Adityanath lauded the contribution of Swami Vivekananda for the youths in particular and the country in general. “Just at the age of 39, Vivekanand ji showed a new path to the entire world, including India. His message of ‘Arise, Awake and stop not until the goal is reached is revolutionary to the youths of the nation. Every youth must follow the path shown by Swami Vivekanand,” the U.P. CM added.

In the event the U.P. CM also distributed incentive money to start-up’s entrepreneurs under State level Vivekananda Youth Award and the State Startup Policy. He also handed over smartphones to beneficiaries under the Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme. In his speech, Mr. Adityanath asked the youth in U.P. to participate in the special cleanliness campaign to be launched by the State government starting from January 14, ahead of the consecration ceremony at Ram Temple scheduled on January 22. The campaign that will kick-start from Ayodhya will be carried out in different cities, villages, and regions of U.P.