Ayodhya. In the Deepotsav-2026 ceremony organized in Ayodhya Dham, Governor Anandiben Patel described the ideals of Lord Shri Ram as the basis of Indian culture, national consciousness and good governance. He said that Ram is the soul of India and is at the center of our national consciousness. The life of Lord Shri Ram teaches that duty is greater than power, responsibility is greater than rights and character is greater than glory. The vision of Ramrajya will be realized only when the poor in the society get respect, the deprived get opportunities, women get security, youth get employment and every citizen gets justice. The objective of governance should be to provide happiness, security and respect to the person standing in the last line.
Referring to the grandeur of the Deepotsav, the Governor said that today Ayodhya is shining with the light of reverence, faith and spiritual consciousness. It seems as if countless stars from the sky are descending on the earth and decorating the holy land of Ayodhya. Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram, is the living center of unwavering faith of crores of people, the soul of Indian culture and eternal consciousness. The feeling of Ramatva is present in every particle of this place.
He said that Maharishi Valmiki spread the ideals of Lord Shri Ram to the people through Ramayana and Goswami Tulsidas through Ramcharitmanas. Shri Ram is not only adorable but also a symbol of social and cultural unity of India. Ramrajya is a vision of an ideal society based on justice, equality, compassion, public welfare and good governance.
New heights of development with spiritual identity
The Governor said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Ayodhya is connecting its ancient spiritual identity with new heights of modern development. With the increasing number of devotees and tourists, new employment and entrepreneurship opportunities are being created for thousands of families related to hotels, Dharamshala, transport, food, handicrafts, flower garlands and puja materials. Ayodhya's Ramlila, folk art, music, literature and traditional food are also getting recognition at the national and international level.
The message of Deepotsav will be meaningful through nature conservation.
Describing Saryu River as the lifeline of Ayodhya, the Governor laid special emphasis on the cleanliness of the ghats, clean water of the river and environmental protection. He said that water conservation, tree plantation and plastic free environment have to be made a part of lifestyle. The real message of Deepotsav will be meaningful only when the light of lamps becomes a medium for nature conservation and welfare of the society.
He said that schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Ujjwala Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission are aimed at taking the benefits of development to the last person of the society. The Governor called upon the youth to learn discipline, leadership, patience and devotion from the life of Lord Shri Ram. He said that it is necessary to introduce children to Ramayana, Mahabharata and Indian knowledge tradition. We should take a pledge that we will not let the lamp of education of any poor child be extinguished, we will not let the dreams of any daughter be limited and we will not leave any elderly person alone.
The Governor said that thousands of lamps can be lit from one lamp, but its light does not diminish. This is the specialty of Indian culture. The light of our happiness should spread hope and happiness in the lives of others, this is the real message of Diwali.