Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Wednesday said in Ayodhya that the city is the land of humanism, and that it has spread the message of humanism to the rest of the world, ANI reported. Addressing an event to commence Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya, Adityanath said that under “Ram Rajya” (the reign of Lord Ram), everyone was treated equally.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Adityanath said “some people” in the country opposed any positive work done by the government. He announced that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 133 crore for Ayodhya, Firstpost reported. “We are taking efforts so that Uttar Pradesh becomes the tourism hub for India and the world,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik praised the Centre and state governments, The Times of India reported. “The Centre is like the Yamuna and the Uttar Pradesh government is like the Ganga,” he said. “When the two meet, there is sangam [union]. This makes us all happy.”

Naik said the chief minister had promised to implement all schemes for Ayodhya in the next two years. “Maybe, Lord Ram is watching from the heavens, to see how many people have come here to welcome us,” The Times of India quoted Naik as saying. “Ram Rajya will arrive, and no one will be able to stop it”.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “Those opposed to Lord Ram cannot stop us from developing Ayodhya.”

Actors portraying the roles of Ram, Lakshman and Sita arrive in Ayodhya on a chopper decked up to resemble the mythological Pushpak Viman. (Credit: IANS)
An actor portraying the role of Ram arrives in a chopper for Deepotsav festival in Ayodhya. (Credit: PTI)

Before Adityanath’s speech, artistes dressed as Ram, Sita and Lakshman arrived at the Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya in a helicopter, the Hindustan Times reported. As a helicopter showered flowers, Adityanath carried out a symbolic coronation of the artiste dressed as Ram.

Earthern lamps were also lit on the banks of the Saryu river, ANI reported. The state’s tourism department wants to set a world record by lighting more than 171,000 earthen oil lamps, the Hindustan Times reported.