STATE TIMES NEWS

New Delhi: Ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a slew of development projects in the Uttar Pradesh city on December 30, including an airport and a redeveloped railway station, and flag off two new Amrit Bharat and six new Vande Bharat trains, his office said on Thursday.
Official sources said the airport will be named “Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham”, after the saint who wrote the epic “Ramayana”. Valmiki also enjoys a large following, especially among Dalits.
Modi will launch projects worth more than Rs 11,100 crore to revamp civic facilities and develop world-class infrastructure in Ayodhya and projects worth over Rs 4,600 crore for other parts of Uttar Pradesh.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Modi’s vision is to develop modern, world-class infrastructure in Ayodhya, improve connectivity and revamp its civic facilities, which also conform to the rich history and heritage of the city where devouts believe Lord Ram was born.
“In realisation of this vision, a new airport, a new redeveloped railway station, newly redeveloped, widened and beautified roads and other civic infrastructure are being inaugurated in the city. Further, foundation stones for many new projects will be laid that will contribute to the beautification and revamp of civic facilities in and around Ayodhya,” the statement said.
The first phase of the state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. Its terminal building will have an area of 6,500 square metres, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually.
The building’s facade depicts the architecture of the Ram temple while its interiors are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting Lord Ram’s life.
It is also equipped with various sustainability features, such as an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rain-water harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, a solar power plant and many other facilities, to meet the five-star GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) ratings, the statement said.
The airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism, business activities and employment opportunities.
The first phase of the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station — named Ayodhya Dham Junction — has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 240 crore. The three-storey modern station building is equipped with all modern features, such as elevators, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, cloak rooms, child-care rooms and waiting halls, the statement added.
Referring to the Amrit Bharat trains, it said these new superfast passenger trains have locomotives at both ends for better acceleration. The trains will provide improved facilities for the passengers, such as beautiful and attractively-designed seats, better luggage racks, mobile phone charging points with suitable phone holders, LED lights, CCTV cameras and a public information system.
Modi will also dedicate to the nation three railway projects worth Rs 2,300 crore to strengthen the rail infrastructure in the region.
To enhance accessibility to the upcoming Ram temple, the prime minister will inaugurate four newly-redeveloped, widened and beautified roads in Ayodhya — Rampath, Bhaktipath, Dharampath and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Path.
Lord Ram’s idol will be consecrated at the under-construction temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

New airport comes up in Ayodhya

Ayodhya: Large posters bearing images of the upcoming Ram temple and the new airport and a message that hails Ayodhya as a city of “Maryada, Dharm and Sanskriti” have been put up in the temple town in Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the new airport and the redeveloped railway station on December 30. He is also slated to hold a roadshow from the airport to the station.
A large number of security personnel were deployed at the premises of the new wing of the Ayodhya railway station on Wednesday as workers carried on with civil work.
A grand Ram temple is currently under construction in Ayodhya, with the consecration ceremony to be held on January 22, which will be attended by the prime minister.
Huge posters were put up in front of the new building of the station and along the Station Road. The poster mounted near the porch of the new building of the station carries an image of the upcoming Ram temple and a message in Hindi, welcoming dignitaries and other people to Ayodhya.
“Hearty welcome and greetings to all seers, honourable dignitaries, devotees, tourists and citizens arriving in Awadhpuri, city of ‘maryada’ (honour), ‘dharm’ (religion) and ‘sanskriti’,” reads the message attributed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
After dark when the old and new buildings of the railway station were illuminated in dazzling hue of pink, many passengers, security personnel and others were seen taking pictures of the new structure and the large posters.
These posters carry a footnote that says Uttar Pradesh’s Information and Public Relations Department.
A few metres away from the station, another huge poster has been put up bearing the image of the new airport of Ayodhya and the same greeting message.
The airport also carries a traditional look with the design of its facade drawing inspiration from temple architecture.
Along the Station Road, another poster has been put up bearing the aerial view of the Deepotsav that takes place in Ayodhya’s Ram ki Paidi at Saryu ghat.
The redeveloped Ayodhya railway station is a state-of-the-art infrastructure having modern “airport-like facilities”, while its facade is inspired from the traditional temple architecture.
A massive crowd is expected to descend in Ayodhya close to the consecration ceremony and the city is getting decked up for the big day.
A set of imposing sun-themed columns — ‘Surya Stambhs’ — are being installed along a prominent street in the holy city.
Chief Minister Adityanath is slated to visit Ayodhya on Thursday to take stock of preparations ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the temple town on December 30, officials said. After arriving, he will first visit the Hanumangarhi temple and pay obeisance to Lord Hanuman. Following this, he will have a “darshan” of Ram Lalla and then inspect the ongoing construction work of the Ram temple, a senior official told PTI. A ceremonial gateway to the Ramjanmabhoomi temple site has been erected in front of the Birla Dharmshala and workers are giving finishing touches to it. The gateway is located near Hanumangarhi temple and leads to the site of the upcoming temple.