On Friday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked Ayodhya city municipal corporation not to impose commercial taxes on temples and other religious shrines.
He was on his first visit to the holy city after assuming charge of the state for the second term. He also reviewed the preparation for the upcoming Ram Navami Mela in Ayodhya after two years of Covid-19 restrictions. Up to 10 lakh devotees are expected to attend the fair.
He then visited the construction site of Ram Temple and offered prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple.
He then visited the Balrampur district and offered prayers in three temples in the district. He halted for the night in the Devi Patan temple and will leave for Siddharthnagar on Saturday.
According to a report from Gorakhpur, the chief minister will observe a nine-day fast during Chaitra Navratri beginning on Saturday. He will then perform special pooja in the town for peace, prosperity, health, and happiness for the state and nation.
Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, he asked the city’s governing body not to take commercial tax from temples and other religious shrines. Other than commercial tax, he asked the municipal corporation not to take house tax, water tax, and sewer tax from any religious and charitable institutes such as monasteries, temples, dharmshalas, and charitable organizations at commercial rates.
He gives for the tax exemption because these institutions do charity work and public service.
Instead, he asked the municipal corporation to take only financial cooperation from them in the form of monetary contributions. He then directed the civic body to prepare a proposal regarding the exemption and get it approved by the government.
This is the first time Ram Navami Mela will be held after the foundation-laying of the Ram temple in August 2020, which was put on hold because of the Covid restrictions. He asked the officials to organize this fair with grandeur and also make special efforts to put Ayodhya on the world map on par with Banaras and Varanasi.
In his address, after reviewing the preparations for the Mela, he said that the construction of the Ram temple has begun and will attract thousands of devotees from all over India to Ayodhya.
He then asked the civic body to keep this in mind to create an enchanting atmosphere and decorate it so that visitors and devotees can feel and experience Ramayana in the atmosphere.
He also visited Mahant Nritya Gopal Das the president of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and Bhaktmaal Mahant Kaushal Kishor, senior seer. Dwarika Tiwari of the temple said that on Saturday, the chief minister would worship Maa Shailputri, Durga Saptshati Paath in Shakti temple on the first floor of the Gorakhnath temple Math.
Acharya Ramanuj Tripathi of the Gorakhnath temple said that on April 9th, which is the day of Ashtami, Nisha Pujan would be performed at night. On April 10th, which is the day of Navami, Kanya Pujan will be held. Acharya Ramanuj Tripathi hopes that the chief minister will attend the Kanya Pujan.