Faizabad's name is Ayodhya from today: Yogi Adityanath

Nov 6 (AZINS) Close on the heels of renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday announced that Faizabad district will henceforth be known as Ayodhya.

"Ayodhya is a symbol of our 'aan, baan aur shaan' (honour, pride and prestige)" he said in the pilgrim town, about 120 km from state capital Lucknow.

PM Modi also tweeted about Kim Jung-sook's trip to Ayodhya.

"Nobody can do injustice to Ayodhya," he said, adding that the holy city is identified by Lord Ram.

Adityanath was speaking on the occasion of "Deepotsav" on Diwali eve.

He also announced setting up of a medical college in the name of King Dashrath, father of Lord Ram, in the district.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and South Korean first lady Kim-Jung Sook attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Queen Huh Memorial at Queen Huh Park in Ayodhya on Tuesday.

South Korean First Lady is in the holy city on Saryu river to attend the mega "Deepotsav" festival.

Chief Minister Adityanath welcomed the First Lady, who saw a cultural programme to mark the occasion.

South Korean and Indian artists perform at Queen Hau Park in Ayodhya. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and South Korean first lady chatted as they saw the mesmerising performance.

Ayodhya and Korea share a deep historical connection through Ayodhya's Princess Suriratna, who married Korean King Suro in 48 CE.

The grand celebrations of the Diwali festivities are expected to set a world record as three lakh diyas or earthen lamps would be lit as part of the Deepotsav or festival of lights.

"We are very excited regarding our performance and are proud to represent our districts and states here", the performers said.

The Deepotsav is an initiative by the Tourism and Cultural Department of Uttar Pradesh to celebrate Lord Rama's victory over Ravana and return to His kingdom in Ayodhya.

The option to resolve the Ayodhya dispute through community dialogue is "over" and the BJP will work towards the construction of a Ram temple here through constitutional or legislative means, the party's Faizabad district chief said Tuesday.

Diwali celebrations in the holy city of Ayodhya this time are taking place amid a growing chorus in the party and the Sangh Parivar for the construction of a temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi through an ordinance.

Faizabad BJP president Awadhesh Pandey claims that majority population of Ayodhya want to see the temple being built as it is a "matter of faith" for them and the "BJP is the only party that raises this issue for them".

"The chorus for bringing ordinance to build it is growing and the BJP will take a legislative route or one that is within the framework of the Constitution (for the purpose). The option of resolving the issue through community dialogue is now over (batchit se masla hal karne ka rasta khatma ho gaya hai)," Pandey told PTI.

He said there was a community dialogue option earlier and the court had also given an opportunity, but it "did not work out".

"We reached out to people at ward level to feel their pulse, and they want that the Ram temple should be built," the district BJP chief claimed.

Asked if the Muslim community wanted the same, his response was muted. Many BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, have been pitching for speeding the work towards construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (UP), and some of them, including Union minister Vijay Goel, have suggested taking the ordinance route.

Asserting that a Ram temple will be built in Ayodhya soon, Adityanath said Sunday in Haridwar a piece of good news regarding this awaited devotees all over the country.

The echoes of the controversial issue can be felt during the 'Depotsav' celebrations here, with Adityanath likely to announce a plan for the installation of a huge statue of Lord Ram on the banks of the Saryu river here.

"Yogiji is most likely to announce Tuesday, during 'Deepotsav', the plan for erecting a 151-metre statue of Lord Ram on the banks of Saryu. The place has not been finalised and it will be done after soil testing," Ayodhya Mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay told PTI.

South Korean First lady Kim Jung-sook, accompanying a cultural delegation, will attend grand Diwali celebrations here, which includes a dazzling display of lakhs of diya at Ram ki Paidi.

The Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, an umbrella body of Hindu seers, in New Delhi on Sunday had "directed" the Narendra Modi government to bring in a legislation or an ordinance to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court recently fixed the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute cases for the first week of January next year before an appropriate bench, which will decide the schedule of hearing.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had said the appropriate bench would decide the future course of hearing in January on the appeals filed against the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

As many as 14 appeals have been filed against the 2010 High Court judgement that suggested that the 2.77 acres of the disputed land be partitioned equally among three parties the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

Many experts have said that the matter should be taken up by the court after 2019 elections, as it might have an impact on the voters.