Embarking from the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, accompanied by his cabinet ministers, set forth for Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, to pay homage to the revered Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
In an unprecedented event, CM Dhami graced the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple for the first time since the solemn ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla on January 22. A parallel occurrence unfolded when the Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on February 6, made a pilgrimage to the Ayodhya Ram temple.
The entourage, consisting of 70 individuals, including cabinet ministers, MLAs, and officials, received a ceremonial salute at Maharishi Valmiki Airport upon their arrival. Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed his anticipation, reflecting on the temple’s construction after a hiatus of five centuries.
“My anticipation is palpable as I venture to the Ram temple, an edifice that has risen after 500 years. Two years ago, I visited Ayodhya during the temple’s construction and corresponded with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about erecting Arunachal Bhawan in Ayodhya. The Ram temple stands as a source of immense national pride, symbolizing the advent of Ramarajya and a new epoch of development,” articulated the CM.
Upon the invitation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Legislative Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, MLAs from all parties, excluding the opposition Samajwadi Party, convened in the court of Ram Lalla on February 11. Subsequently, on February 12, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev made his inaugural visit to the temple following the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony. After experiencing the sanctity of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of the Isha Foundation, conveyed that it transcends being merely a stone structure, representing devotion and conscious sacrifice.
Expressing his sentiments on ‘X’, Sadhguru wrote, “Profound gratitude for generations of people who labored to manifest this reality. This is not a mere temple of stone; it is a sanctuary of devotion and deliberate sacrifice.” Meanwhile, the Indian Railways orchestrated the operation of over 200 Aastha special trains from diverse cities, catering to the spiritual journey to Ayodhya for the darshan of Ram Lalla at the newly erected Ram Mandir.
As per railway statistics, each Aastha train boasts 20 sleeper coaches, accommodating approximately 1,400 individuals. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust reported that over a span of seven days following the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, more than 20 lakh devotees flocked to the Ram Temple to seek divine blessings.
