Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Ayodhya on 2-day visit

Ayodhya (UP), Oct 8 (PTI) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in Ayodhya on Wednesday for a two-day visit.

Sitharaman was received at the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport by Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna and Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, according to an official statement.

Traditional melodies filled the air as her convoy, under tight security, proceeded to Hotel Radisson, before she began her scheduled engagements.

Sitharaman's visit marks a special cultural event at Brihaspati Kund in Tedhi Bazaar, where she, along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will unveil the statues of three legendary South Indian musicians -- Tyagaraja Swamigal, Purandara Dasa and Arunachala Kavi -- the statement said.

The statues installed in the Brihaspati Kund complex stand as timeless symbols of India's musical, devotional and artistic heritage, it added.

These saint-musicians infused divine devotion into Indian classical music, making it the spiritual essence of the country's culture, the statement said.

The installation of the statues in Ayodhya, the land of devotion and dharma, serves as a remarkable testament to the unity of north and south Indian traditions, it added. PTI ABN RC