Chief Minister honours sanitation workers, boatmen, Nishad community members and councillors for their contribution to Deepotsav arrangements
Ayodhya: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called upon the people of Ayodhya to protect the city’s cultural heritage, cleanliness and public infrastructure, saying that preserving the dignity of Lord Ram’s city was a collective responsibility.
Addressing a Diwali Milan programme organised at the Nishad settlement near Ram Ghat Halt, the Chief Minister said Ayodhya had undergone a transformation and must continue to maintain its identity as a clean, beautiful, well-organised and dignified city.
Referring to the city’s religious traditions, Yogi said devotees should be able to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ without restrictions and undertake the Panchkosi, 14-Kosi and 84-Kosi parikramas without obstruction. He said the days when devotees faced police firing during religious activities should not return.
The programme was organised to acknowledge the contribution of sanitation workers, boatmen, the Nishad community and other personnel who helped manage the arrangements during Deepotsav. The Chief Minister distributed Diwali gifts and felicitated individuals for their services.
CM Praises Sanitation Workers After Deepotsav
Yogi Adityanath particularly appreciated sanitation workers for maintaining cleanliness across Ayodhya following the grand Deepotsav celebrations.
He noted that more than 3 million diyas had been illuminated across the city’s ghats, while large crowds of devotees continued to visit the religious sites until late at night. Despite the massive gathering, the ghats were found clean and orderly the following morning.
He congratulated the sanitation teams for managing the arrangements and ensuring that the city remained clean despite the large influx of visitors.
The Chief Minister said the identity of a city or village was shaped by its cleanliness and civic management. He urged residents to take pride in Ayodhya and ensure that visitors carried back a positive impression of the city.
Nishad Community and Boatmen’s Role Appreciated
The Chief Minister also acknowledged the contribution of boatmen, traditional water workers and members of the Nishad community in managing arrangements along the Saryu during the celebrations.
He said thousands of devotees visit Ayodhya every weekend, on new moon and full moon days, and during major religious festivals. Many take a holy dip in the Saryu and visit the ghats to offer prayers.
He appreciated the alertness displayed by boatmen during the Saryu aarti and said their contribution to the safety and management of the riverfront deserved recognition.
Recalling the Ramayana, Yogi referred to the support extended to Lord Ram by Nishadraj, Mata Shabari, the vanaras and bears. He said their collective contribution played an important role in Lord Ram’s victory over the forces of evil.
He also spoke about festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan, Vijayadashami, Ram Navami and Vivah Panchami, saying these traditions keep memories of India’s cultural and spiritual heritage alive.
Calls for Protection of Public Property
Speaking about Ayodhya’s ongoing development, the Chief Minister said the government could undertake construction and infrastructure projects, but maintaining and protecting public assets was the responsibility of local residents as well.
He urged people not to damage public infrastructure or allow the city’s development gains to be lost through negligence. According to him, the present transformation of Ayodhya had involved contributions from people across different sections of society.
Yogi also appealed to residents to ensure that no forces undermined the city’s reputation and development. He called for a collective commitment to preserving Ayodhya’s religious character, cleanliness and civic facilities.
Sanitation Workers, Councillors and Divers Felicitated
During the programme, the Chief Minister honoured sanitation workers and their children for their contribution to cleanliness and civic services.
Those felicitated included Awadhesh Nishad, Suraj Nishad, Chanda Nishad, Kaushalya Nishad, Renu Nishad, Kajal Nishad, Aaradhya, Madhavi Gautam, Ansh, Jyoti, Sunita, Babban, Sandeep and Arun.
Five councillors were also recognised for their work in maintaining cleanliness in their respective wards. They included Kunti Pandey of Pateshwari Nagar, Manisha Yadav of Chitragupt Nagar, Ramteerth of Lala Lajpat Nagar, Surya Kumar Tiwari of Kalyan Singh Ward and Abhinav Pandey of Jhulelal Nagar.
Divers who contributed to keeping the Saryu clean were also honoured. They included Satish Majhi, Brajesh Majhi, Jaggu Majhi, Babu Nishad and Abhishek Nishad.
The Chief Minister urged all sections of society to work together to protect Ayodhya’s religious heritage, maintain cleanliness and support its continued development.
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