12.5 thousand litres mustard oil used in 1.80 lakh earthern lamps in Ayodhya

After taking a genuine stand on the historical monument Taj Mahal thus giving a huge rebuttal to his own party legislature infamous to raise controversies on issues of no relevance or raking up the issues leading to unambiguous confrontation between the majority and minority the saffron clad Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has made a global record by lightening the historic pious river Saryu’s bank and the adjoining precints with a whopping 1lakh 71 thousand earthern lamps where once in the TRETA YUG as the saying goes Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana landed in a Pushpak Vimaan after completing the 14 year old exile.

This historic moment never ever witnessed ever in any festival of India during the last 70 years after or before independence this outstanding efflorscent event during two days Deepawali, the festival of Hindus celebrated every year as a symbol of expressing happiness and ecstasy on the eve of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and brother Lakskmana returning back to Ayodhya after arduous 14 long years of most challenging exile. About 12.5 thousand litres of mustard oil with over 5 lakh cotton batties and two lakh earthern pots ( Diyas) were used to lighten the lamps on the banks of historic and pious Saryu River where Lord Rama stepped in for the first time after reaching Ayodhya from his most arduous and challenging 14 year protracted exile.

This is a world record, as never ever such large number of earthern lamps in any festival have ever been lightened in India’s or world’s history in a single go and in a single night. Though the various political parties may draw different political cannotations of this event but the fact can’t be denied that Lord Ram is the undisputed God of billions n billions of Hindus world over who are not athiest and believe in the Almighty.

The Bhartiya Janata Party’s main plank had been Lord Rama and the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, though the matter is presently subjudice as it’s in the Supreme court awaiting the final decision. The BJP had already derived political advantage on this issue when the BJP led NDA formed government at the centre under the then PM Atal.Bihari Vajpayee but the issue was sidelined on the opposition and advice of the then NDA partners, thus the matter finally going under the purview of the Court. God knows, what will be the fate of this complex issue in future that involves the majority and the minority communities.

But as far as the inkling of the Uttar Pradesh Chief minister is concerned he has already unambiguously made his stand known that he would wholeheartedly welcome the honourable court’s decision but is fully committed to not let the issue of Lord Ram go unnoticed or diluted and has as such allocated Rs 133 crores for the complete face lift of Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Rama. A more than 100 metre high Statue of Lord Rama is being elevated on the banks of river Saryu with total modernisation of the area at an adjoining the river and Ayodhya.

This is for the first time that such a massive budget for the development and the facelift of a religious place has been arranged by any government of the state. However no rival of chief minister Yogi Adityanath or his party can point a finger of opposition, as a massive budget, just double of what is being spent on Ayodhya viz 360 crores, for the face lift of Agra and the precincts near the historical monuments like Taj, Agra Fort n Fatehpur Sikri has also been earmarked.

The chief minister Yogi Adityanath is visiting Agra on 26th October to formally inaugurate this over ambitious project. The complete facelift of historical and spiritual places of Agra and Ayodhya will not only improve the quality of life of the local populace but will also boost tourism on a tremendous scale earning immense profits and foreign exchange for the country n the state.

SUNIL NEGI