Ayodhya residents to enjoy cultural shows before ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony

Under the guidance of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, different cultures from across the country will meet in Ayodhya, the Chief Minister’s office said on Sunday.
In this sequence, several new events will take place, starting with Makar Sankranti (January 15). On various locations, including Ram Ki Paidi, Dharam Path, Tulsi Udyan, Circuit House, Saket College, etc., visitors will be acquainted with the cultural activities of different states. The event will introduce the cultural theme of the new Ayodhya.

From January 15, the renowned spiritual speaker Devkinandan Thakur will narrate the Ram Katha at Ram Katha Park. The Katha, which will run until January 23, will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Under the directive of CM Yogi, continuous Ram Katha has been organised since January 8. The Ram Katha, spanning 70 days, will feature different narrators each week, allowing devotees to listen to various versions of the epic. From January 8 to 14, Shri Chinmayanand Bapu narrated the Ram Katha to devotees,” the Chief Minister’s office said in a press release.

People from several states of the country will present their offerings on the Ram Ki Paidi. On the Ram Ki Paidi, Shailesh Bhagwat from Maharashtra will play the ‘Shehnai’. Harsh Vardhan from Maharashtra will express his devotion to Lord Rama through the ‘Sarangi’, and Shashwat Mandal from Delhi will present devotional songs.

In addition, Anuj Mishra will perform ‘Kathak’ dance, Jyoti Srivastava will perform ‘Odissi dance’, and Anjana Jha and Surbhi Shukla will present ‘Kathak’. Meenu Thakur will mesmerize the audience on the Ram Ki Paidi with the ‘Kuchipudi dance’.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the organization of cultural programmes at public places. As part of this, on Makar Sankranti, near Saket Petrol Pump, a bhajan programme by Shashikant Dubey will be held, while Ayodhya’s Shitala Prasad Verma will present the Faruwahi folk dance. On the Dharam Path, Rajesh Gaud from Ayodhya will perform a Kaharwa dance. Sweta Singh from Gonda will present bhajans and folk songs.

Furthermore, at Ramghat Halt, Rama Prajapati will showcase the ‘Badhawa’ dance, and Manavendra Das and Manas Das will present devotional songs. Near Saket College, Sultanpur’s Dayashankar Pandey will present an Avadhi folk song, and Prakriti Yadav will perform a folk dance.