The Govt. of Uttar Pradesh has announced that it would be erecting a gigantic, 328-feet long statue of Lord Ram at Ayodhya on the banks of River Sarayu.

A proposal to erect the statute, which would stand tall at a height of 100 meters, has been submitted to Governor Ram Naik by the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP Govt. in the State.  Raj Bhawan sources in Lucknow conceded that the project report has since been received by the Governor’s Secretariat.  The proposal is part of the initiatives launched by the State to generate more revenue by creating more tourist spots.

A brochure was released recently on the ‘eve’ of the Yogi Adityanath Govt. completing six months in office.  The brochure had omitted the world-renowned Taj Mahal from the list of popular tourist sites in the State.  Critics didn’t spare the Govt. for doing so.  The brochure also contained so much information on mythological places connected to Hindu epic Ramayana and other monuments of historical significance.

Explaining the brochure’s purpose, the State Govt. said in a statement that the Taj Mahal was not purposely removed from the list.  "The brochure was brought out mainly to list out the completed projects of the Govt.," the statement said.  It is in this backdrop that the State has now announced its proposal to bring up a 328-feet tall gigantic statue of Lord Ram on the banks of River Sarayu.