PM Modi to inaugurate redeveloped railway station, new airport in Ayodhya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Saturday during which he will inaugurate a redeveloped station and a newly-built airport in the temple town.

He is also expected to lay the foundation stones for a slew of development projects in Uttar Pradesh.

To welcome the prime minister, the holy city has been decked up with flowers, murals and thematic ornamental columns amid heavy security deployment. Huge posters with images of Modi have been put up at prominent locations here, while cut-outs of Lord Ram have been installed outside the redeveloped railway station.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made along the Ram Path to the Ayodhya airport, located about 15 km from the main city.

Devotional songs dedicated to Lord Ram played out on the streets here on Saturday morning while ringing of bells and holy chants at several temples filled the air.

"The prime minister is expected to reach Ayodhya airport around 10.45 am. After landing at the airport, he will head to the Ayodhya railway station where he will inaugurate the redeveloped railway station. He will then return to the airport, inaugurate the newly-bult airport and subsequently address a 'jan sabha' (public rally)," Gaurav Dayal, Divisional Commissioner of Ayodhya, told PTI on Friday.

About 1.5 lakh people are expected to assemble for the rally that will last nearly an hour, after which the prime minister will depart from Ayodhya, he added.

In a statement on Friday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office said during Modi's visit, more than 1,400 performers will present folk art and cultural programmes in a total of 40 stages set up along the route from the airport to the railway station.

The prime minister would hold a roadshow while travelling from the airport to the railway station and acknowledge the greetings of the people of Ayodhya, sources had earlier said.

He is expected to spend about three hours here.

At around 11.15 am, Modi will inaugurate the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flag off new Amrit Bharat trains and Vande Bharat trains, the PMO said in a statement on Thursday, adding, he will also dedicate several other railway projects to the nation.

At around 12.15 pm, the prime minister will inaugurate the newly-built Ayodhya airport. He would later participate in a public programme where he would inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore in the state, the statement said.

"The phase-1 of the state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. The airport's terminal building will have an area of 6,500 square metres, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually," it said.

The interiors of the terminal building have been decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Lord Ram.

This visit by the prime minister comes just ahead of the 'pran pratishtha' or consecration ceremony of the Ram temple here.

A grand Ram temple is currently under construction here, with the consecration ceremony to be held on January 22, which will be attended by the prime minister.