"I appreciate your devotion and courage to undertake such a pilgrimage," Eknath Shinde said (File)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the dreams of crores of Indians with the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
He was speaking at an event to see off 300 devotees who will make the journey to Ayodhya on foot and reach there after 47 days.
"I am thankful to PM Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for fulfilling the dreams of crores of people with the construction of the Ram Temple. It will be fruitful for their 'shraddha, asmita, and bhakti' (devotion and pride)," Mr Shinde said.
Asserting that Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray also wanted a grand temple to be built in Ayodhya, the Chief Minister said the holy city has completely been transformed and has become an important pilgrimage center of the world.
"We too will experience the grandeur and have darshan when we visit Ayodhya for the temple inauguration (idol consecration) on January 22," Mr Shinde said.
He lauded the 300 'padyatris' saying the task ahead of them is not simple.
"I appreciate your devotion and courage to undertake such a pilgrimage," he told them.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)