Gohana intersection in Panipat to be named Shri Ram Chowk: CM Khattar

The Gohana intersection in Panipat will be named Shri Ram Chowk and the Railway Road intersection Maharshi Valmiki Chowk, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Sunday.

The announcement comes on the eve of the 'Pran Pratishtha' consecration ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla at the Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

Today the whole world is expressing faith in Lord Ram in one voice, said Khattar, while addressing a gathering at Panipat during a 'Shobha Yatra' for which he was the chief guest.

During the late evening programme, for which a large number of people had turned up despite biting cold, Khattar announced that the Gohana intersection in Panipat will be be named Shri Ram Chowk and the Railway Road intersection, also in Panipat, will be named Maharshi Valmiki Chowk.

In the last 10 years, good governance has been practised and the concept of 'Ram Rajya' is now prevalent in the whole country, Khattar, a senior BJP leader, said. "We are following the ideals of Lord Ram," he added.

He urged people to watch the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony online and on TV, and celebrate the day like Diwali.

Singer Kailash Kher was also present at the programme.

Talking to reporters in Kurukshetra, Khattar said the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony on Monday will be celebrated like the Diwali festival across the country.

Referring to the construction of the Ram temple and the 'Pran Pratishtha', he said the wishes of crores of people of the country and around the world will be fulfilled as the "long wait of 500 years will come to an end".

On January 22, "a wait of 500 years" is going to be over as Lord Ram is going to return to his abode in Ayodhya, the chief minister said and added that the country is immersed in 'Ram bhakti'.

He said that a special train for Ayodhya will be run next month from the state to facilitate pilgrims for having a 'darshan' of the Ram temple.

The train will be run on February 8 and 9, he told reporters here after inaugurating a training camp for municipal corporation councillors in Kurukshetra.