Ayodhya is a symbol of our pride, Yogi Adityanath said in his speech

Highlights Ayodhya is our symbol of pride and prestige, says Yogi Adityanath

Faizabad district comprises of the twin towns of Faizabad, Ayodhya

Medical college, airport to come up in Ayodhya, named after Lord Ram

Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh will be known as Ayodhya, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Tuesday in a speech to mark the Diwali festival in the holy city revered by millions of Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Ram. The announcement comes days after the Uttar Pradesh government officially renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj.

"Ayodhya hamari aan baan shaan ka prateek hai, Ayodhya ki pehchan Bhagwan Ram se hai. (Ayodhya is our symbol of our pride and prestige). It owes its identity to Lord Ram," said Yogi Adityanath.

The Faizabad district comprises the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya on the banks of the river Saryu. The district will now be known as Ayodhya, said the saffron-robed chief minister.

He also announced a medical college that would be named after Lord Ram's father in the epic Ramayana, Raja Dashrath. An airport in Ayodhya will be named after Lord Ram.

"I want to make sure that Lord Ram's legacy lives forever," explained the priest-politician, who took charge as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after the BJP's massive victory in state polls last year.

Yogi Adityanath, responding to criticism of his renaming spree, had said that a name matters. "Why are those protesting the change not named Raavan or Duryodhan? Why didn't their parents name them 'Raavan' and 'Duryodhan' in that case? In this country, the name holds a lot of significance," he said.