Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that while civilizations worldwide have faded, India continues to safeguard its thousands of years-old civilization and culture. Addressing the closing ceremony of the three -day Gorakhpur Festival 2024, Yogi said, “Indians have the talent to preserve their heritage even in the midst of all the conflicts. Shri Ram was incarnated thousands of years ago but every Indian is still connected to the tradition started by him. It is the result of the tradition of preserving the heritage and the struggle for it at every level that Lord Shri Ram is once again going to be seated in his grand temple in Ayodhya on 22 January.” He emphasised that through defeating those who targeted Ayodhya and attacked culture and faith, Indians have reclaimed their identity. He highlighted the forthcoming Consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram as a symbol of this victory. The CM praised festivals like Diwali, Holi, Ramnavami, Mahashivratri Rakshabandhan, stating that they effectively communicate Indian culture, bridging the gap for those who, for various reasons, were previously unaware.
He stressed the special messages embedded in these festivals, advocating for festivals to serve as vehicles for conveying broader cultural messages. He stated that 35 lakh people visited Ayodhya in the year 2023 on Ram Navami. “At that time, there was neither good railway service nor airport in Ayodhya. Roads were also under construction. Today Ayodhya has four lane and six lane connectivity, double line of railway and is connected to the airport. Eight planes can land simultaneously at the new airport”, he said. Yogi said that today Dharamshala and good hotels are also available there. “Like Kumbh, a tent city is also being set up. Similarly, Shri Krishna’s Janmotsav is also organized. Even after five thousand years, we celebrate our tradition with the same enthusiasm”, Yogi added. He said that Gorakhpur and Eastern UP have been extremely rich from cultural and spiritual point of view. “Baba Gorakhnath had chosen Gorakhpur as the place of his meditation. Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is at a distance of 90 km from here.
His final resting place is in Kushinagar, 60 km away from Gorakhpur. Sant Kabir was born in Kashi but eventually came to Maghar. The distance from Gorakhpur to Ayodhya and Kashi is only a few hours,” he said. The CM said that it is a moment of pleasure for him that Gorakhpur Mahotsav is so successful. “Many artists performaed in the festival. The idea behind the festival is to encourage folk traditions and folk art and provide a platform to new artists and inspire them to move forward”, he said. He said that it is a new Gorakhpur today. “All the citizens have also contributed with positive spirit in the development of Gorakhpur. Negativity has not been allowed at any level. The result is that today, anyone who comes to Gorakhpur after 5 years is surprised by the development here,” he said. Yogi highlighted Gorakhpur’s transformation, stating it was once associated with both mafia and mosquitoes. “Today, with their eradication, encephalitis has also been eliminated,” he said.