The Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Marg in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh has been declared a National Highway. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari released the draft notification on Wednesday.
In a bid to make UP the biggest religious tourist destination in the country, work is underway. Gadkari informed that about 80 km of Ring Road in Ayodhya and 275 km of Ayodhya Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Marg will be made National Highway. Tourists from the country and abroad will be able to do 84 kos parikrama in Ayodhya through this four-lane road.
It is worth noting that people from all over the country and abroad come to Ayodhya every year for Panchkosi and Chaudah (14) Kosi Parikrama. The saints circumambulate Ayodhya in eighty-four kosi. This Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Marg spreads for 275.35 km in five districts, including Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Barabanki and Gonda district.
King Dasharatha’s Ayodhya was spread in eighty-four Kos. The mythological sites associated with Lord Rama are on this 84 kos parikrama route. The Parikrama Yatra starts from Makhauda Dham in Basti district, located 20 km north of Ayodhya. After visiting the 21 halts falling in five districts, the Yatra is completed. The names of these districts are Basti, Ambedkarnagar, Barabanki, Gonda and Ayodhya.
Note that there are three types of parikrama in Ayodhya – 84 kosi, 14 kosi and Panchkosi Parikrama. Of these, 14 Kosi parikramas are located in the middle of the city, while the other two parikramas are in the Awadh region around the Ayodhya district.
Meanwhile, draft Notification has also been issued declaring road between Bhandara-Mohadi- Tumsar- Barpeta-Balaghat as National Highway in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The Union Minister further announced that construction work of four/six Lane Greenfield Ludhiana – Rupnagar National Highway (NH-205K Package-II) from Bounker to Behlolpur including ‘proposed Ludhiana Bypass stretch’ has been approved under Bharatmala Pariyojana in the state of Punjab with a budget of Rs 1488.23 crore.
