Yogi Adityanath confirms Ram statue in Ayodhya, visits two possible sites for 150-metre tall structure

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on the occasion of Diwali on Wednesday, confirmed plans to build a statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, reports said. He made the announcement a day after he declared that Faizabad district will be renamed Ayodhya . Adityanath confirmed plans for a Ram statue after offering prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple. He said he had visited two locations that are being considered for the site of the statue, CNN-News18 reported. “The idea is on our mind. We will discuss it further. I saw two spots today. Lord Ram will be worshipped at the temple, but a statue that can be seen from afar will also be there. We are moving ahead with the project. Surveys are being conducted and architects have suggested various designs,” Adityanath said. [caption id=“attachment_4618241” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Reuters[/caption] “People come to Ayodhya for darshan (viewing) and smaran (remembering) of Lord Ram, and the statue will fulfil that purpose,” he said, according to The Times of India. Adityanath also said that that the statue of Lord Ram will become part of Ayodhya’s identity. “There will be a statue of Lord Ram here that will be a tourist attraction. Its particulars will be decided according to the land,” he said, according to NDTV. On the construction of a Ram mandir at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the chief minister said: “You all know there is already a temple in Ayodhya. Mandir tha, hai aur rahega (the temple was there, is there and will continue to be there). All options are open, but the solution will conform to law and Constitution.” The Uttar Pradesh government already has the Ram statue project underway, having sought presentations from companies. It has been speculated that the structure will be at least 150 metres tall. The move to rename Faizabad as Ayodhya is the second such decision by the Uttar Pradesh government in weeks, after it rechristened Allahabad as Prayagraj. “We have come here to assure you that nobody can do injustice to Ayodhya, no force in the world can do that,” Adityanath had said at the grand Diwali celebrations organised in Ayodhya on Tuesday, at which South Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook was the chief guest. Adityanath had also announced that a new airport would be set up in Ayodhya and be named after Lord Ram, as well as a medical college to be named after King Dasarath, father of Lord Ram.