Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the day of foundation stone laying ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya will remain etched in the memory of every Indian.

The laying of the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sparked off celebrations in Gorakhpur.

Earthen lamps (diyas) were lit on the premises of the Gorakhnath temple where the priests recited verses from the Ramcharitmanas and devotees organised bhajan- kirtan to mark the occasion.

“The mahants of the Gorakhnath Math belonging to the Nath panth have played a pivotal role in the Ram temple movement since the British period. The present mahant, Yogi Adityanath, who is the chief minister of the state, also gave momentum to the movement after he joined the Nath panth in 1992. After becoming chief minister, he not only named Ayodhya district,

but also upgraded the town to a municipal corporation. He has launched several projects for development of the temple town,” said Kamalnath, a priest at Gorakhnath temple.

“Today is a historic day for us. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the (Ram) temple. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, as well as a large number of seers from across the country were present on the occasion. Lamps were lit on the samadhis of Mahant Digvijay Nath and Mahant Avaidyanath, two leading lights of the Ram temple movement,” he said

The Covid-19 guidelines were implemented during the celebrations, Kamalnath said.

Religious songs were played in other temples of Gorakhpur too. People played with colours at crossings of the city. Besides, a special programme was organised at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s local office.

Gorakhpur MP and actor Ravi Kishan too joined the celebrations.

“I have urged people to light lamps at their houses to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the Ram temple. For people across the country, it’s Diwali,” he said.