World Awaits Ram Temple Opening in Ayodhya: Modi

New Delhi/Ayodhya: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the whole world is eagerly waiting for the historic Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22 and appealed to people to light special ‘Shri Ram Jyoti’ in their homes to celebrate the day as 'Deepawali' on that day.

During his visit to Ayodhya, the Prime Minister inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore. These include projects worth about Rs 11,100 crore for development of Ayodhya and its surrounding areas and projects worth about Rs 4600 crore related to other projects across Uttar Pradesh.

Prime Minister Mr Modi also inaugurated the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flagged off new Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Bharat trains.  Mr Modi also inaugurated the newly built Ayodhya Airport. The airport has been named Maharishi Valmiki International Airport.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said, “The world is eagerly waiting for January 22. I am a devotee of every particle and person of India, I too am eager for the day of Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) at the upcoming Ram Temple.”

The Prime Minister asked all the 140 crore Indians to light Shri Ram Jyoti. “This historical moment has very fortunately come into the lives of all of us. We have to take a new resolution for the country and fill it with new energy. For this, all of you should light Shri Ram Jyoti in your homes on January 22 and celebrate Deepawali”,  he said.

Keeping in mind the desire of everyone to be present for Pran Pratishtha, the Prime Minister also requested everyone to plan their visit to Ayodhya only after the programme of January 22 as it is important from the point of view of security and arrangements.

Asking everyone to plan their visit after January 23, he said, “We waited for 550 years, wait for some more time.”

Preparing the people of Ayodhya for innumerable visitors in future, the Prime Minister asked them to make Ayodhya the cleanest city of the country. “For the grand Ram temple, a huge campaign of cleanliness should be launched at the pilgrimage sites across the country from 14th January, the day of Makar Sankranti,” the Prime Minister called upon the citizens of India.

Reiterating his commitment to serve the people with all his might, Prime Minister Mr Modi said, “Nowadays some people ask me why Modi's guarantee has so much strength. Modi's guarantee has so much power because Modi does what he says. Today the country has faith in Modi's guarantee because Modi puts in all his efforts to fulfill the guarantees he gives. This city of Ayodhya is also a witness to this. And today I will once again assure the people of Ayodhya that we will leave no stone unturned in the development of this holy place.”

The Prime Minister stressed that taking care of heritage is an integral part of scaling new heights of development. “Today’s India is moving while incorporating both ancient and modern,” he said.

Mr Modi said that there was a time Lord Ram was living under a tent, but now he will get a concrete house like the four crore poor who got pucca houses.

Elaborating the point heritage is an integral part development he mentioned renovation of places of faith with strides in Digital India, ‘Kashi Vishwanath Dham’ with more than 30,000 panchayat bhawans; revamping of ‘Kedar Dham’ with more than 315 medical colleges, ‘Mahakaal Mahalok’ with ‘Har Ghar Jal’, achievements in space and ocean with bringing back heritage artifacts from abroad.

Talking about naming Ayodhya Airport after Maharishi Valmiki, he said that Maharishi Valmiki’s Ramayana is the path of knowledge which connects us to Shri Ram.

“Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in modern India will connect us to Ayodhya Dham and the divine-grand-new Ram temple. In the first phase the airport can handle 10 lakh passengers annually and after the second phase, Maharishi Valmiki International Airport will cater to 60 lakh commuters annually,” Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister noted the significance of December 30 as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose unfurled tricolour on this day in Andaman in 1943. “On such an auspicious day associated with the freedom movement, today we are carrying forward the resolve of the Amrit Kaal,” he said.

He further noted that the campaign of ‘Viksit Bharat’ is getting new energy from Ayodhya and congratulated the people of Ayodhya for the development projects. He emphasized that these projects will re-establish Ayodhya on the national map.

Talking about the upcoming Pran Pratishtha, the Prime Minister said, “Today here is celebration of progress, after some days there will be a festival of tradition, today we see the grandeur of development, after some days we feel the divinity of the heritage. This collective strength of development and heritage will take India forward in the 21st century.”

Referring to the ancient glory of Ayodhya as described by Maharishi Valmiki himself, Mr Modi reiterated the desire to bring that grandeur back by linking it with modernity.

“Not only Awadh region, but Ayodya will give new direction to the development of the entire Uttar Pradesh,” he said. He pointed out the projected increase of pilgrims and tourists coming to the holy city in the wake of the grand temple and said that infrastructure is being revamped to meet the demand.