Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Sunday with the leaders of his party. On his first visit to Ayodhya as a Chief Minister, nearly 3000 Shiv Sainiks, including ministers of the Maharastra government, party MPs and MLAs, will accompany Shinde.
To accommodate all Shiv Sainiks travelling with Shinde, almost all hotels, guest houses and dharamshalas in the city, where a grand temple of Lord Ram is being built, have been booked, according to a report by Times of India. Thousands of Shiv Sainiks are likely to reach Ayodhya a day in advance to welcome Shinde, who is set to perform ‘aarti’ at the Saryu river there. Apart from the CM’s entourage and Shiv Sainiks from Maharashtra, around 10,000 party activists from different parts of Uttar Pradesh are also expected to gather in Ayodhya to welcome Shinde. Shinde will be arriving in Lucknow on Saturday and will visit Ayodhya on Sunday where he will offer prayers at Hanumangarhi temple and Ram Mandir.