PM Modi urges people not to visit Ayodhya on Jan 22

AYODHYA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the public not to visit Ayodhya on January 22 for the inauguration of the Ram Temple.

"As bhakts, we would not like to cause any problems to Lord Ram. You all can come starting January 23 till eternity... Ram Mandir is now there forever and ever," Prime Minister Modi said on Saturday.

He also asked everyone to light a diya in their house on January 22.

The Prime Minister said that Ram Lalla has got a new permanent home in the form of the Ram temple in Ayodhya after "spending years in a tent".

He said that houses have been constructed for both Ram Lalla and four crore poor people of the country.

Prime Minister Modi also said that the government is taking steps to improve connectivity to Ayodhya from several places in the country.

He made the remarks after inaugurating the Ayodhya Dham railway station and Maharishi Valmiki International Airport. The Prime Minister also flagged off eight new train routes on the day.

Addressing a public event in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Modi said, "December 30 has been a very historical date in the history of the country. On this day in 1943, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose hoisted the flag in Andaman and proclaimed the Independence of India."

He further said that if any country wants to reach new levels of development, it has to preserve its heritage.

Prime Minister Modi said that today’s India is an "amalgam of the old and the new".

"We are moving ahead in the digital age and are also preserving our heritage. Development must come with the preservation of heritage and carry forward Viksit Bharat," he pointed out.

The Prime Minister added that the completion of the Ram Temple is a moment that the world was waiting and the excitement is palpable on the streets of Ayodhya.