Ayodhya Deepotsav LIVE: Ram, Sita, Laxman arrive by chopper, Yogi Adityanath welcomes

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today gave a ceremonial welcome top Ram, Sita and Lakshman who arrived in a chopper to Ayodhya to kickstart the 'Deepotsav'. The actors who played the gods were garlanded by CM Adityanath.

Chief Minister Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik also distributed allotment letters to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Ayodhya.

The chief minister also gave a ceremonial welcome top Ram, Sita and Lakshman who arrived in a chopper to Ayodhya to kickstart the 'Deepotsav'. The actors who played the gods were garlanded by CM Adityanath.

HERE THE LIVE UPDATES:

• Ayodhya maanavta ki dharti hai, maanavta ka path duniya ko Ayodhya ne padhya hai Ram rajya ke maadhyam se: UP CM at #Diwali celebrations pic.twitter.com/4d83lMKHql

  - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 18, 2017

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was in Ayodhya as part of the state governments grand Diwali festivities. Both CM Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik are expected to perform aarti of Sarayu river which will be followed by laser show.

The festivities will also see a Ramlila performed by artists from Indonesia and Thailand. Earlier, Adityanath had said that the a grand Diwali celebration will be held in Ayodhya which will also the participation of 'sadhu-saints'.

Yogi government had allocated Rs 1,240 core for Ramayan, Buddhist and Krishna circuits in the holy cities in its state budget presented in March this year.

After a hiatus of 17 months, Ramilla was started in Ayodhya by the efforts of the Yogi government. The practice of holding Ramlila in Ayodhya was started by the then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in May 2004 but was stopped during Akhilesh Yadav's regime after the culture department refused to grant aid for the same.