Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, is set to embark on a visit to Ayodhya in early February to offer prayers at the recently inaugurated Lord Ram Temple, according to official sources on Wednesday.
Although Shinde had declined the invitation to the January 22 Pran Pratistha event, he announced his intention to visit Ayodhya at a later date, accompanied by the entire state cabinet, as a representation of the people and devotees of Lord Ram in Maharashtra.
As per the current itinerary, the visit is scheduled for February 5, with the Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers, all Cabinet Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and other party leaders expected to participate. Notably, Shinde marked the January 22 ceremony by playing the 'dhol' (drum), distributing sweets, and chanting 'Jai Shri Ram,' while Fadnavis was in Nagpur that day.
In addition to Maharashtra, Chief Ministers and top leaders from various other BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Goa, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Gujarat, among others, are planning visits to the new temple over the next couple of months on different dates. Opposition leaders like Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray have also expressed their intention to visit the Ram Mandir soon.
Since the temple's inauguration in the presence of numerous VVIPs and attendees on January 23, devotees from across India have been flocking to Ayodhya for darshan, braving the chilly weather in North India.
(With Agency Inputs)
