The lost glory of Ayodhya has been restored and there will be no fight in the name of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said at the World Hindu Economic Forum here on Friday, as the State government gears to celebrate Deepotsav (festival of lamps) in the temple town on October 26.
This comes at a time when the Supreme Court is likely to finish the hearing in the Ayodhya land dispute case by October and pronounce its judgment thereafter.
‘No more fights’
“We have progressed on Ayodhya’s development and restored its own identity ... I would say it has become the Ayodhya it used to be and there will be no fight in its name. It has joined the path of development and is progressing well with its own identity. Now, it has got its spiritual and cultural identity by way of Deepotsav ,” Mr. Adityanath said.
Last year on Deepotsav , over 3 lakh earthen lamps were lit on the banks of the Sarayu river, a day ahead of Deepavali, a number which got registered in the Guinness World Records.
“Earlier, people used to be scared to go to Ayodhya. All former CMs of UP were scared of going to two places, Ayodhya and Noida. Ayodhya because it raises a question mark on your secularism, and Noida, because it raises a question mark on your chair. Since, I became the CM, in the past two-and-a-half years, I visited both Ayodhya and Noida 10 times each,” he said.
Earlier, Swami Vigyananand, founder of the World Hindu Foundation, said, “Ayodhya is in the news these days. Daily discussion is happening in the Supreme Court. I will talk on how Ayodhya is mentioned in Valmiki’s Ramayana. Extending along the banks of the Sarayu river exists the world-renowned city by the name of Ayodhya. The great city of Ayodhya 96 miles long and 24 miles wide. Ayodhya is graced with extensive highways with properly divided roads, which is daily sprinkled with water. It had great markets with craftsmen. It is marked with high-rise buildings. It is prosperous and happy. It is not what we are now...”
