UP CM Adityanath to lay foundation of 108m tall Ram statue on Diwali eve

Project estimated to cost Rs 5 billion

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will lay the foundation of a 108 metre tall Lord Ram statue in Ayodhya on the eve of Diwali, in November, this year.

Earlier, the state government had proposed to erect a 100 metre Ram statue, the height of which has now been extended by 8 metres, since the figure of 108 is considered auspicious in Hindu religion.

A high-level source told Business Standard the CM would lay the foundation of the statue on ‘Deepotsav’, organised on the eve of Diwali festival in the temple town every year. Since, Diwali will be celebrated on November 7, the foundation of the statue is likely to be laid on November 6.

Last year, Adityanath, along with his senior ministers, had participated in a similar high octane programme in Ayodhya on the Diwali eve replete with a religious-cultural extravaganza, which comprised lighting of thousands of diyas (earthen pots), performances by artistes from India and South East Asian countries, laser show themed on Hindu religious text Ramayan etc.

In October 2017, the government had announced its decision to install a grand Ram statue in Ayodhya near the banks of river Saryu. The government had also sought funds from private companies under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) corpus for various tourism projects in the state, including the statue.

In fact, UP has been eyeing CSR funds for 85 tourism projects totalling Rs 27 billion across 10 major towns, including Varanasi and Gorakhpur. Apart from Lord Ram statue, the corporate funds are being eyed for proposed New Ayodhya project pegged at another almost Rs 4 billion.

Meanwhile, the statue project cost has been estimated at almost Rs 5 billion, a state cabinet minister said requesting anonymity. The composite project would also comprise a museum, art gallery, theatre etc.

“The Lord Ram statue project is on track and soon the detailed project report (DPR) process would start to roll,” the minister said, adding that apart from highlighting the connection of Ram with Ayodhya, the project was also aimed at boosting tourism. The project will also require environment clearance, since it has been proposed near the banks of a river.

In fact, the statue project is part of the larger ‘New Ayodhya’ roadmap being prepared by the Adityanath government to accord a contemporary makeover to the ancient town complete with modern amenities and infrastructure, including shopping malls, hotels, parks, amusement hubs etc.

The flow of Saryu will be rerouted in such a fashion that the river water stream touches the feet of the towering statue once it has been erected. After coming to power, the Adityanath government has never shirked its temple agenda. Recently, deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya had said the Centre could enact a law to facilitate the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.