Through Diwali Yogi keeps Ayodhya pot boiling 

Ayodhya will be in the limelight this Diwali as Yogi Government has plans to decorate this holy city with lights and earthen lamps reminiscent of Ramayana Days when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after a decisive battle against Ravana.

“This will be a ‘never before’ event. Series of functions will be held in the twin city of Ayodhya and Faizabad and Ayodhya will be decked with lights which will add sheen to its majestic grandeur,” Principal Secretary (Tourism) Avnish Awasthi said. “We are trying to decorate the city as majestically as possible. The only bench mark is, it should match the era of Lord Rama when he returned to Ayodhya with Sita and Laxman. The way Bharat had decked up the city we are trying to replicate it the same way though we do not have any reference,” Awasthi said.

As Bharat probably had made the event very lavish, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too had loosened the strings of the purse for this event and over rupees160 crore will be spent on Diwali event which starts from October 18 and will continue till October 21.

Though this function has a veneer of religion but the message BJP wants to give is political. It wants to keep the Hindutava pot boiling through Ayodhya.

“Please do not raise questions about expenditure on Diwali festival in Ayodhya. During last regime over rupees1000 crores were spent on Saifai festival, have you ever raised a finger on this. This money on Ayodhya will be spent on renovation of Ghats and roads. Is it bad if Ayodhya gets a new look,” BJP state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

He said, “During Mayawati regime over 300 crore was spent to deck up Hazratganj. Did you raise questions then? You are raising questions now because Yogi government is spending money on Lord Ram and Ayodhya,”, Pathak said with a caustic tone.

During Diwali festival Ram Leela will be organised followed by laser shows and helicopters will be used to shower flowers. DM, Faizabad Dr Anil Pathak is holding regular meetings to ensure this programme is grand. “Please do not ask questions. It will be one of its kind programme,”he said.

State Government has plans to decorate Ram ki Paidi with about two lakh earthen lamps while aarti of Sarayu river will be performed after that Ramlila will be performed by Indonesian and Thailand artists. The main attraction of the programme will be heritage walk of Ayodhya, worship of Lord Rama and coronation of Lord Rama.

A grand statue of 108 feet will also be constructed at the banks of the river Sarayu. Avnish Awasthi said that after receiving no objection certificate from National Green Tribunal (NGT), a grand statue of Lord Rama will be established at Sarayu coast.