Image courtesy: Indian Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the revamped Ayodhya Dham junction and flagged off eight trains, two Amrit Bharat trains from the station and six Vande Bharat Express trains virtually.
The prime minister also inaugurated the newly built Ayodhya airport, named the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport.
PM Modi had arrived in the temple town of Ayodhya in the morning and was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The prime minister began his mega roadshow through the city soon after amid heavy security.
Named after sage poet Maharishi Valmiki, the airport will start functioning from January 6. It has been developed at a cost of over Rs 1,450 crore and will serve nearly 10 lakh passengers annually.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said, "Phase 1 of the state-of-the-art airport is developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore. The airport's terminal building will have an area of 6500 sqm, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually."
"The facade of the Terminal Building depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir of Ayodhya. The interiors of the terminal Building are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Bhagwan Shri Ram," it added.
The terminal building of Ayodhya airport is also equipped with various sustainability features like an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, solar power plant and many other such features have been provided to meet GRIHA - 5-star ratings.
The ₹ 240 crore redeveloped Ayodhya railway station, which was renamed to the Ayodhya Dham junction, is a three-storey facility with food plazas and waiting rooms.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to address a public meeting later in the day and then inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 46 infrastructure projects.
The projects are worth about Rs 11,100 crore allotted for the development of Ayodhya and its surrounding areas and projects worth about Rs 4600 crore are related to other projects across Uttar Pradesh, reports NDTV.
He will also inaugurate a medical college, the Ayodhya bypass, a solid waste treatment and five parking and commercial facilities. The Prime Minister’s visit comes with less than a month to go for the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration on January 22.
"Our government is determined to develop world-class infrastructure, improve connectivity and preserve the rich heritage of Ayodhya, the city of Lord Shri Ram. In this direction, I will inaugurate the newly constructed airport and redeveloped railway station tomorrow," the prime minister said in a post on X yesterday.