Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government will install a 151-metre-tall statue of Lord Ram on the banks of River Saryu in Ayodhya and chief minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to make an official announcement on November 6.

Rishikesh Upadhyay, the mayor of Ayodhya Municipal Corporation, told PTI, "There is a proposal to install a 151-metre-tall statue of Lord Ram on the banks of River Saryu in Ayodhya...Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may make an announcement on this on the occasion of Dev Deepawali."

"The place where the statue will be installed will be finalised after the soil is tested. The statue is likely to come up in the vicinity of Sant Tulsidas Ghat. Officials are looking at two-three sites, after which they will pick the best one," BJP leader Upadhyay added.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the state government has already taken steps to select the architect and the design consultant. It will be the ‘world’s tallest’ state of Lord Ram and will cost Rs 330 crore, according to reports.

“The tender for selecting the architect and design consultant was floated and the shortlisted firms gave a presentation before the chief minister. Some changes were suggested and a fresh presentation will be made for the final selection,” a senior official of the Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN), who did not wish to be named, told the newspaper.

“This statue will be the tallest among idols of deities in India,” said Prof Pandeya Rajivanayan of the department of fine arts at the Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, Lucknow.

Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan told ANI, "Why did this thought not occur at the time of building the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel? Why would anybody oppose (the building of Lord Ram's statue)? I would want an even taller statue of Lord Ram in Rampur."

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world's tallest statue in Gujarat. The "State of Unity" of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is 182 metres tall.

With inputs from agencies