Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Sunday, marking his first such visit since he was inducted into the top leadership of Maharashtra in June 2022. Thousands of Shiv Sainiks are expected to accompany Shinde, for whom, reports suggest that almost all hotels, guest houses and dharamshalas in the temple town have been booked. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will also join CM Shinde on his visit later today.
According to the official programme issued by the Maharashtra government, Shinde reached Lucknow on Saturday evening and stayed there for the night.On Sunday, he will land on the banks of the Saryu River and Fadnavis and he will attend Maha Aarti at Ram Janma Bhumi and visit the construction site of the new Ayodhya temple."The Maharashtra chief minister will be arriving in Lucknow on Saturday and will visit Ayodhya on Sunday, where he will offer prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple and the Ram temple. He will also see the ongoing construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple and perform the evening 'aarti' on the banks of the Saryu river," Shinde's spokesperson Viraj Mulaye told news agency PTI. He also visited Ayodhya in March 2020 and June last year.