Yogi celebrates 6 years as CM with prayers at Hanumangarhi, makeshift Ram temple

Completing six years in office, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday visited Ayodhya and prayed at the Hanumangarhi and makeshift Ram temple for the well-being of the state.

The chief minister was also briefed about the progress of the construction of the Ram temple, to which he was told 70 per cent construction of the temple had been completed, a government statement said. Yogi Adityanath who is the 'Gorakshpeethadhishwar' (head of the Gorakhpur-based 'Goraksha Peeth'), took the oath of office for Chief Minister of UP for the first time on March 19, 2017.

After the BJP emerged victorious in the 2022 UP Assembly elections, he once again took the oath on March 25, 2022. On Saturday, Adityanath had visited Varanasi, and offered prayers at the 'Kaal Bhairav' temple and at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

After Adityanath had the darshan of 'Ram Lalla' at the makeshift temple, he was presented a memento by general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai. According to the statement, Adityanath also inquired about the well being of the labourers working on the Ram temple construction.

On Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had in Lucknow congratulated Adityanath for completion of six years in office and praised work done by him during the period. "I can say that so far, no one has been the chief minister for such a long time in Uttar Pradesh. Dr Sampurnanand served as the chief minister for the longest time span, but his record has been broken by Yogi Adityanath ji," Singh had said.

Dr Sampurnanand was the UP chief minister from December 28, 1954 to April 9, 1957, and became the CM for the second time on April 10, 1957 and remained on the post till December 6, 1960. He served as Chief Minister for five years and 345 days.

Later, addressing a gathering at a ceremony organised on the occasion of inauguration of the newly constructed Shriramkritu pillar and Shriramlalla Bhavan under the Asharfi Bhavan Peeth, Adityanath said, "This is also important because both the name and the fame are seated in this holy place."

Quoting a couplet from Ramcharitmanas, Adityanath said, "'Kalyug kewal naam adhara, sumari-sumari nar utrahin para' which means name is important in Kaliyug... It has also been said about Lord Ram that one gets hundred times more merit by writing his name than by chanting. Here in Ramkruthu, 28 crore names have been preserved and it will continue to increase. It will inspire us to take the right path till eternity and also lead us towards prosperity in life. The name of the Lord is in Shriramkritu. We can earn blessings by preserving the 28 crore names of the Lord through writing."

The chief minister also said that solar panels should be used to reduce the cost of electricity. "Once the panels are installed, the amount of electricity you consume at your place (through solar panel) will be deducted from your connection. Besides, the government will take surplus (of solar) energy and pay for it.

Arrangements have also been made for net metering at ashrams and homes and net billing at commercial sites. As per the intention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is determined to accelerate efforts to make the capital of Suryavansh as a 'solar city'," he said. Adityanath on this occasion said that the government is running many programmes for the convenience of saints and devotees.

Ayodhya will be established as one of the most beautiful cities of the world in the coming times, he pointed out. The Centre and the state government are running several programmes for the convenience of saints and devotees for Panchkosiya, 14 Kosiya and 84 Kosiya Parikrama, Adityanath said. During his visit to the temple town, Adityanath also met Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (president of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra) at Maniramdas Chhavni in Ayodhya and discussed with him the construction of Ram temple, the statement said.