Ayodhya Ram Temple Ceremony: UP schools, colleges to remain closed on January 22

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government has declared a holiday for schools, colleges and all educational institutions on January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath termed the occasion as a "national festival". "Considering the significance of the consecration ceremony of the eagerly awaited new idol of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya Dham, the CM has declared holiday in educational institutions on January 22," an official release stated.

The consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place on January 22. The Delhi BJP's temple cell chairman Karnail Singh said that the ceremony will be live broadcast in 14,000 temples in the national capital, the PTI reported.

“200 people will be present at each temple to watch the ceremony live. Nearly 30 lakh people in total are expected to attend the screening across the temples in the city,” the report added.

Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar’s recent comment on the Ram temple had stirred a controversy. “The site that has been allotted for the Ram temple is simply the site of exploitation. It is a place to fill the pockets of some conspirators from a certain community. We should be aware of pseudo Hindutva and pseudo nationalism,” he said. He said that “temples are the path to mental slavery, while schools mean the path of light in life”.