U'khand CM along with his cabinet slated to visit Ayodhya on Feb 2

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami along with his cabinet colleagues, will visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on February 2. The Chief Minister has decided that all the cabinet ministers will go to Ayodhya together for the darshan of Shri Ram Lalla, according to a statement by the Chief Minister's office.

CM Dhami had earlier said that Lord Shri Ram has an unbroken connection with Uttarakhand. He released the annual calendar, 'Strong Leadership Prosperous Uttarakhand', prepared by the Information and Public Relations Department on the occasion of Ram Lalla's Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

On Pran Pratishtha day, CM Dhami offered prayers at the temple located in his government residence and said that after 500 years of a long struggle, "I am extremely elated to be a witness to this grand festival."

"Lord Shri Ram has an unbroken connection with Uttarakhand. The origin of the Saryu River, on the banks of which Lord Shri Ram's father and Maharaj Dashrath performed the ritual to have a child, is in the Bageshwar district. When he returned to Ayodhya after the burning of Lanka and became Maryadapurushottam King Ramchandra, he performed Pitru Yagya in the Raghunath temple of Devprayag to avert the killing of arrogant Ravana," Dhami said, addressing a Ramotsav programme organised in Haldwani earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Ayodhya continued to witness the huge gathering of devotees visiting the Ram Temple. On Wednesday, braving severe cold coupled with fog, people stood in long queues around Rampath and the temple premises since morning.

Devotees of all ages fervently kept chanting "Jai Shri Ram" on the streets of Ayodhya. Crowds also gathered along the routes of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Path.

In adherence to the Chief Minister's directives, the administration and police were well-prepared to ensure security and convenience for the devotees. As the temple doors opened, a surge of joy swept through the crowd, witnessing the divine presence of Shri Ram Lala.

The consecration of Shri Ram Lalla has significantly boosted the number of visitors, turning Ayodhya into a focal point of pilgrimage. Over 5 lakh people embraced the opportunity for darshan on the first day after the Pran Pratistha ceremony.

District Magistrate Nitish Kumar shared that efforts were made to facilitate darshan for over 2.5 lakh devotees till 10 p.m. on the second day.

Recognising the overwhelming response of devotees, the temple administration has extended the time for darshan. The timing for darshan now is from 6 am to 10 pm so that a maximum number of devotees can be accommodated.

The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at Ram Temple in Ayodhya was held on Monday. The Ram Lalla idol was unveiled at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony after the hour-long rituals in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led the ceremony.