Page 8 - Ayodhya

Drone surveillance conducted at Gyanvapi complex amid 'bandh' announcement

The court directed the district administration to make the necessary arrangements in the next seven days

Ram Mandir draws 250k devotees in 11 days, collects Rs 11 cr in offerings

Donation surge witnessed with Rs 8 crore in cash and Rs 3.5 crore via cheque and online contributions

Gyanvapi management moves HC on ruling to allow 'puja' in mosque's basement

The Gyanvapi management committee moved the Allahabad High Court on Thursday challenging a Varanasi court order that has allowed Hindu prayers before idols in a cellar of the mosque. The counsel for the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, S F A Naqvi, said they have requested an urgent hearing in the matter. The mosque committee moved the high court within hours of the Supreme Court refusing to hear its plea against the Varanasi district court's order and asking it to approach the Allahabad High Court. In the appeal filed before the high court, it has been pleaded that the Hindu side's suit itself is barred by order 7 rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code, Naqvi said. The plea has also alleged that the main purpose behind filing the suit was to create a controversy over the functional Gyanvapi mosque where regular namaz is offered. A caveat was also filed by the Hindu side regarding the matter. The Varanasi court ruled on Wednesday that a Hindu priest can perform prayers before the

After consecration ceremony, 2.5 mn devotees visited Ram temple in 11 days

After the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22, around 25 lakh devotees visited the temple in the past 11 days and the amount of offerings and donations has crossed Rs 11 crore. According to Prakash Gupta, office in-charge of the temple trust, in the last 11 days, about Rs 8 crore rupees were deposited in the donation boxes, while the amount received through cheque and online is around Rs 3.50 crore. He said that in the temple's sanctum sanctorum, where the deity is seated, four big size donation boxes have been kept near the 'darshan path' in front of the sanctum sanctorum, in which the devotees are donate the amount. Besides, people also donate at 10 computerised counters. He said that the temple trust employees are appointed at the donation counter and they submit the account of the donation amount received in the trust office after the counter is closed in the evening. A team of 14 people, which includes 11 bank employees and three from the temple trust, counts

250 mn people lifted out of poverty over past decade: President Murmu

Murmu said the government believed that the grand edifice of a developed India would stand on the four strong pillars of youth power, women power, farmers and the poor

SpiceJet to launch eight flights to Ayodhya on Feb 1, Scindia to inaugurate

SpiceJet will launch eight new flights to Ayodhya from different places on February 1, according to an official. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will inaugurate the flights. The flights will connect Ayodhya with Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Patna, Darbhanga, Mumbai and Bengaluru, the official said. The official said that more people are visiting Ayodhya after the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple. The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport at Ayodhya Dham was inaugurated earlier this month.

How Ayodhya can draw more tourists than Mecca, Vatican

Ayodhya's recent developments, particularly the inauguration of the Ram Mandir, signify a pivotal moment not only in India's spiritual landscape but also in its economic and tourism sectors.

Special Aastha trains for Ayodhya from Tatanagar to visit Ram temple

Indian Railways to run special trains to Ayodhya from Jharkhand to visit Ram Lalla's temple. The trains will leave on two days - January 29 and February 19, 2024

Ram temple in Ayodhya can withstand once-in-2,500-year quake: Scientists

The CSIR-CBRI also vetted soil investigation schemes, foundation design parameters, excavation schemes and recommendations for foundation and structure monitoring

Governance of Lord Ram source of inspiration for Constitution makers: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya brought crores of people together and asserted that the collective strength of the country was visible around the time of the event. In the first Mann Ki Baat broadcast of this year, Modi said the governance of Lord Ram was a source of inspiration for Constitution makers. "And that is why on January 22 in Ayodhya I had talked about 'Dev to Desh' and 'Ram to Rashtra'," he said. The consecration ceremony in Ayodhya has brought crores of people of the country together, he said. "Everyone's feeling is the same, everyone's devotion is the same. Ram is in everyone's words, Ram is in everyone's heart," Modi said. During this period, many people sang Ram bhajans and dedicated them to Lord Ram, while on January 22 evening the whole country lit 'Ram Jyoti' and celebrated Diwali, he noted. "During this time, the collective strength of the country was visible which also forms the basis of our p

Not self-reliance, focus must be on 'competitive India'

The President said that the Fundamental Duties enshrined in the Constitution are essential obligations of every citizen towards making Bharat a developed nation when it completes 100 years of freedom

Ayodhya's youth to grab boom in job opportunities post-Ram temple opening

When the Supreme Court had paved the way for construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya in its historic verdict in 2019, Dileep Pandey worked as a tailor in a cloth firm in Delhi. A native of Ayodhya, Pandey returned to his home when the first wave of Covid-19 struck in 2020. Sensing an opportunity in Ayodhya itself, he has decided never to return to Delhi. Pandey currently operates a small tour and transport firm facilitating people's visit to Ayodhya from different parts of the country. With the inauguration of the newly-constructed Ram temple on January 22, Pandey (28), now aims at expanding the business in view of the swelling number of devotees visiting Ayodhya. "I currently have three mid-size vans that visitors can hire to travel around Ayodhya. With the rise in the number of devotees, I plan to take a loan to buy two SUVs for them," said Pandey. Though keen in studies, he dropped out from the first year of a college in Ayodhya in order to start a job. "Ayod

Talk of Ram Rajya in Ayodhya, showing 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' in Bihar: Sibal

Taking a swipe at the BJP over the Bihar political developments, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said while there was talk of Ram Rajya at the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, "Aaya Ram Gaya Ram" was being showcased in Bihar. Sibal's dig in the morning came just ahead of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's volte-face from the opposition INDIA bloc to the BJP-led NDA. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Ayodhya, Bihar. Talk of: Ram Rajya at Ayodhya and showcase 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram in Bihar'!" "What say you Modi ji?" said Sibal, a prominent voice in the opposition. Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' was an expression used widely in politics in the 1990s referring to the frequent floor-crossing and switching of parties. Later in the day, Chief Minister Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra V Arlekar. The governor accepted Kumar's resignation, and asked him to continue as caretaker CM till a new government is formed. A new government with the support of the BJP is likely to be in place

American firm signs pact with UP tourism for 100-room resort in Ayodhya

This uptick has spurred increased investment in the hospitality sector to enhance tourism potential and cater to the growing influx of visitors

ASI report on Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi not judgement: Mosque committee

The Gyanvapi masjid committee on Friday said the ASI survey of the mosque, which Hindu side lawyers claim was built on the remains of a pre-existing temple, is just a report and not a judgment. The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee said they are studying the ASI survey report after which they would make comments. Mohd Yasin, secretary of the committee which manages the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, said, "This is just a report and not a 'faisala' (judgment). There are several kinds of reports. It is not the final word on the issue." He said they would present their views when the Supreme Court hears the matter relating to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The Act mandates that the "religious character" of a place, except the Ram temple in Ayodhya, cannot be changed from what existed on August 15, 1947. Responding to the latest developments, BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh on Friday said Muslims should hand over the Gyanvapi mosque site to Hindus, a

PM GatiShakti spurs planning, implementation of Ayodhya bypass: Govt

The 67.57-Km Ayodhya bypass project in Uttar Pradesh was planned and implemented under the PM GatiShakti initiative, the commerce and industry ministry said on Friday. It said that the project would facilitate uninterrupted freight flows and decongest Ayodhya. It "will cover key districts such as Lucknow, Basti, and Gonda. This project will facilitate improvement in connectivity to economic, social and logistics nodes, including tourist and pilgrim sites, across these three districts," the ministry said in a statement. Ayodhya is situated between two economic hubs (Lucknow and Gorakhpur) and major commodities such as leather, engineering goods, building materials, iron and steel, pass through the city therefore the construction of this bypass route will facilitate uninterrupted freight flows and decongest the city. An idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also gave a clarion call to go

Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya showcased in UP's Republic Day tableau

An artistic image of Ram Lalla whose new idol was recently consecrated at a grand temple in Ayodhya is the showpiece of Uttar Pradesh's tableau in this year's Republic Day parade here. The tableau also depicts the first-ever operational high-speed regional rapid transit system (RRTS) of the country. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the priority section of its first corridor in October. The front portion of the tableau symbolically represents the consecration ceremony that took place in Ayodhya on January 22, with an artistic model depicting Lord Ram in a young avatar holding a bow and arrow. According to officials, the tableau also symbolises Ayodhya as a city that signifies a "Viksit Bharat" with "Samriddh Virasat". The trailer portion of the tableau reflects Uttar Pradesh's path to progress and its pace, propelled by cultural heritage, they said. The trailer features two sadhus with a "kalash" symbol, emblematic of the upcoming Magh Mela in Prayagraj and the ..

R-Day eve address: President Murmu speaks on Ram temple, Isro missions

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the Ram temple will be marked in history as "India's continued re-discovery of its civilisational heritage" and as a grand edifice, giving a befitting expression not only of people's faith but also as a testament to people's enormous trust in judicial process. In her address to the nation on the eve of the 75th Republic Day, the president spoke on various issues including the welfare schemes initiated by the government and said it will be a proud day for the nation when it will be among those countries where homelessness "is a rarity". She also touched on the conflicts that have emerged in several parts of the world and stressed at finding a way out in the light of reason. "When each of the two conflicting sides believes that it is right and the other is wrong, the way out should be found in the light of reason. Unfortunately, instead of reason, fears and prejudices have fuelled passions, leading to relentless violence. There have been a ...

Ram temple rush: 'Darshan' timing extended, key roads to temple town closed

The extended timing to offer prayers at the new Ram temple in Ayodhya came into effect on Thursday with 'darshan' being allowed from 6 am as key roads leading to the temple town remained closed to regulate vehicular movement. Authorities have implemented strict security measures in Ayodhya amid a huge rush of people following the January 22 consecration ceremony. Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force personnel have been deployed outside the temple and roads from Basti, Gonda, Ambedkarnagar, Barabanki, Sultanpur and Amethi blocked 15 kilometres ahead of their borders with Ayodhya. On Wednesday, the temple management decided to let people offer prayers from 6 am to 10 pm, and allotted 15 minutes for 'aarti' and 'bhog' from 12 noon. Earlier, it was 7 am to 6 pm with a two-hour break in between. On Thursday, devotees started arriving in the temple town on the occasion of 'Paush Purnima' and thousands were seen taking a holy dip in the Saryu river. Ayodhya Commissioner Gau

Uttarakhand CM along with his cabinet slated to visit Ayodhya on Feb 2

Meanwhile, Ayodhya continued to witness the huge gathering of devotees visiting the Ram Temple