Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to travel to Nepal’s Janakpur next month to take part in Vivah Panchami, a festival that celebrates Bhagwan Ram and Mata Sita’s wedding.
Vivah Panchami is an age old tradition in which saints and pilgrims travel each year from Bhagwan Ram’s birthplace- Ayodhya- to Mata Sita’s maternal house- Janakpur- as baratis to take part in the wedding celebrations of Bhagwan Ram and Mata Sita. This time CM Yogi and Rajnath Singh would also be part of this age old tradition.
According to a Swarajya report, CM Yogi and Rajnath Singh would be accorded a traditional welcome by the provincial chief minister Mohammad Lalbabu Raut Gaddi, and he would also gift them traditional kurta, dhoti, gamcha, and Mithila Paag, Mithila region’s traditional headgear.
CM Yogi shares a very special bond with Nepal. He is the head of the Gorakhnath Mutt, whose presiding deity Gorakhnath is widely revered all over Nepal. Yogi Adityanath attended ‘Virat Hindu Mahasamelan’ organized by former King Gyanendra in October 2016. Both Kings Birendra and the last king Gyanendra were devoted to the mutt. Gorakhnath temple trust carried out relief and rehabilitation works after Nepal earthquake tragedy.
Since his advent to power, CM Yogi has taken several steps to strengthen the legacy of Bhagwan Ram and to ensure that Ayodhya shall soon reclaim its rightful place as India’s cultural nucleus. Recently, Yogi Government has announced to install a 151 meter long statue of Bhagwan Ram on banks of the Sarayu River in Ayodhya. On Diwali, he restored the name of Faizabad district. Ram Nagari Ayodhya is located in the district of Faizabad. Now, Faizabad is known as Ayodhya. CM Yogi also organized a grand Diwali celebration in Ayodhya and has invited the First lady of South Korea along with several other delegates.
After coming to power, CM Yogi has put special emphasis on the development of Ayodhya and Ramayana related sites in the vicinity of the city. He has also taken steps to recognize the ancient ties between South Korea and Ayodhya. In this regard, CM Yogi also announced establishment of a park honoring the South Korean queen who was said to have travelled from Ayodhya.
Shortly, after his elevation to power, Yogi Adityanath visited the temple town in March. He became the first CM to do so since 2002. Not only did he offer prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, he performed rituals at Sarayu River with a promise to beautify the ghats and hold a grand Sarayu Mahotsav. CM Yogi and his ministers organized grand Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya in 2017, including the lighting of 1.71 lakh diyas and several cultural programs. He celebrated Diwali on grand scale in Ayodhya in 2018 also and made many benign announcements, stated above.
Last month, a three-day long festival was organised, wherein artists from various parts of the country came to Ayodhya. The Ayodhya Art Festival 2018, had over two hundred artists who painted hundreds of walls across the city. The theme of the festival was ‘Bhagwan Ram and his life’, and it was further divided into eight aspects of his life.
Unlike other governments that have been embarrassed by Ayodhya’s association to India’s Hindu past and have actively or passively disregarded its development, Yogi Adityanath and his administration are going all out to ensure that the ancient town becomes an exemplar for respect of tradition coupled with development.