Amid chants and Janmashtami celebrations, chief minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi here on Friday and said Mathura and Vrindavan would be developed along the lines of Ayodhya and Kashi to make temple visits easier for devotees.
Festivals such as Janmashtami, he added, not only bring people together but also contribute to the economy.
Invoking the Bhagavad Gita, he said Lord Krishna’s message to Arjuna was to perform one’s duty without worrying about the outcome.
It was Yogi’s 20th visit to Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi as chief minister.
Addressing devotees after offering prayers during his two-day visit to Mathura and Vrindavan, he said the Uttar Pradesh government was working to create grand temple premises in the Braj region while preserving its spiritual character.
Referring to the Babri Masjid demolition dispute and the construction of the Ram temple, Yogi said an attempt made in 1528 by a foreign invader to erase symbols of Hindu faith had ultimately failed. Because they were concerned about their vote banks and feared questions from people, taking a swipe at previous governments, Yogi said those in power earlier had avoided visiting Janmabhoomi on Janmashtami. Because they were worried about their vote bank if they came here on Janmashtami, here lies the difference, as those from previous regime were afraid of coming here fearing questions and also.
He accused those unhappy with Ayodhya’s transformation of trying to tarnish the city’s image. ‘I come personally to offer prayers at Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi on occasion of Janmashtami to respect our rich heritage.
He said around one lakh devotees visit the Ram temple daily, with the numbers rising sharply on special occasions. Yogi said the Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad was working on the development of the Braj region and promised that Mathura and Vrindavan would be developed according to the wishes of the people. They caused incident like Jawahar Bagh in their regime; but now festivals are celebrated,’ said the CM.
He contrasted this with the transformation of Ayodhya, saying the city had been neglected under earlier regimes but now had a grand Ram temple, an airport named after Maharishi Valmiki, four-lane roads and double railway-track connectivity.
