Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reached Ayodhya on Sunday, where he offered prayers at Ram Lala temple. Shinde’s Deputy Devendra Fadnavis, along with nearly 3,000 Shiv Sainiks, including party MPs and MLAs and several other Ministers from the Maharashtra government also accompanied the Chief Minister on the tour.

On his first visit to Ayodhya as Chief Minister, Shinde held a massive show of strength along with his MLAs in Ayodhya. Addressing a massive gathering, Shinde said it was Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s dream to build a “grand divine Ram Mandir in Ayodhya”, that Prime Minister Modi fulfilled by starting the temple construction on the holy land.

“It was Balasaheb Thackeray’s and millions of Ram devotees’ dream to build a grand divine Ram temple in Ayodhya… PM Modi has made this dream come true by beginning the construction of the Ram temple,” he said. 

The Chief Minister and his Deputy reached Ram Katha helipad in Ayodhya, where they will be attending ‘Maha Aarti’ at Ram temple. Shinde will also oversee the ongoing construction work of the temple and meet saints and attend ‘Maha Aarti’ in the evening at the Saryu river bank.

As a token of Maharashtra’s contribution to the Ram temple construction, logs of ‘sag’ (teak) wood would be donated during the Chief Minister’s visit to Ayodhya.

ALSO READ: Ram Temple Visit, Meeting with Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra CM to Hold Show of Strength in Ayodhya

Follow the Latest Updates on Shinde’s Ayodhya Visit:

▶Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis shared an aerial view of Ram Mandir construction from his aircraft.

▶Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya.

▶During his visit, Shinde was seen wearing a saffron scarf with Shiv Sena’s ‘bow and arrow’ symbol embroidered in it. The scarf also has ‘Jai Shree Ram’ Written on it.

▶Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis offered prayers at Ram Lala temple in Ayodhya.

▶Thereafter, he will hold a press conference at 2.30 pm. At 3.30 pm, he will visit Laxman Kila to seek the blessings of all saints. At 6 in the evening, he will hold Sharayu Aarti.

▶He will then have dinner with CM Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, and then head back to Mumbai.

▶Uttar Pradesh minister Swatantra Dev Singh was also seen accompanying Shinde to Ayodhya.

▶Maharashtra CM Shinde and Deputy CM Fadnavis received a warm welcome as they arrive in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh today.

▶Thousands of Shiv Sainiks have also reached the city and almost all hotels, guest houses and dharamshalas in the temple town have been booked to accommodate Shiv Sena ministers, MPs and MLAs.

ALSO READ: Before Eknath Shinde’s Ayodhya Visit, All Hotels & Guest Houses Booked in City | Here’s Why

▶Talking about his visit to Ayodhya for the first time after becoming the chief minister, Shinde said he was happy and satisfied to see the atmosphere in the temple city. He expressed his gratitude to Uttar Pradesh ministers and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, whom he will be meeting later in the day in Lucknow.

“Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray wanted to see a grand Ram temple come up in Ayodhya,” Shinde had said.

▶ “I am very happy that I am going to Ayodhya to take blessings from Lord Ram,” said Fadnavis as he left for Ayodhya with Shinde earlier today. 

▶The Chief Minister’s entourage flew down to Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Saturday, where they received a warm welcome from the ministers of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state.

▶Posters and hoardings have been put up in several locations starting from the Lucknow airport to Ayodhya.

▶The posters show Shinde on the background of the Ram Temple, some of them also have faces of his son Shrikant Shinde, Shiv Sena leaders Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and BJP president JP Nadda.

▶The Shiv Sena is planning to highlight Shinde’s visit to Ayodhya across the country.

▶Earlier, Shinde had visited Ayodhya as a Shiv Sena leader on November 25, 2018, a year before the Supreme Court announced the verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. He also visited Ayodhya in March 2020 and June last year.

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