Ayodhya Ram Mandir opening: Maharashtra govt declares public holiday on Jan 22

The Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has decided to declare a state holiday on January 22 to mark the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The decision was made following a formal request by state Cabinet minister and BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha. Initially opposed by the state general administration citing a lack of precedence, the request was forwarded to Chief Minister Shinde's office for approval.

The decision aligns with several other states and central government offices that have also announced a public holiday or half-day leave to honor the ceremony.  Notably, the Department of Personnel and Training has announced that all central government offices will close for half a day until 2:30 PM on January 22.

Several states, including Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Odisha, and Assam, have issued similar directives, either declaring a full public holiday or a half-day closure of government offices and educational institutions. 

Private sector banks, however, will remain open in accordance with the Reserve Bank of India's holiday list designating it as a working day.

As the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya approaches, several BJP-led states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Goa, have declared public holidays to mark the historic occasion.

These states have implemented various measures, such as bans on the sale of liquor, meat, and fish, to observe the event. In Tripura, all offices and educational institutions will remain closed until 2:30 pm on January 22.

The inauguration ceremony, scheduled for January 22, will witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with seers, leaders, celebrities, and families of the laborers who contributed to the construction of the Ram Mandir. The ongoing preparations in Ayodhya include ceremonies that commenced on January 16, with the installation of the Ram Lalla idol inside the sanctum sanctorum.

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