The Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh announced on Sunday, 12 July 2026, that Ayodhya Dham has been established as Uttar Pradesh's first Solar City, with street lights and government buildings across the city now powered entirely by solar energy. Quoting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the official post stated: 'Aaj Ayodhya Dham Uttar Pradesh ki pehli Solar City ke roop mein sthapit ho chuka hai' — 'Today, Ayodhya Dham has been established as Uttar Pradesh's first Solar City.' The announcement was tagged under the campaigns #एक_पेड़_माँ_के_नाम, #PragatiBhiPrakritiBhi, and #GoGreen_UP, signalling the state government's effort to link development with environmental sustainability.

Context

Ayodhya has been the centrepiece of an accelerated civic redevelopment drive in Uttar Pradesh since the 2019 Supreme Court verdict and the landmark Ram Mandir inauguration in January 2024. The city's transformation has encompassed road widening, airport upgrades, beautification of the Saryu riverfront, and now the integration of renewable energy infrastructure into public utilities. The solar-city designation marks a convergence of religious tourism development and clean-energy policy.

Policy Backdrop

Uttar Pradesh notified its Solar Energy Policy in 2017, the same year CM Yogi Adityanath assumed office, to promote rooftop and utility-scale solar installations across the state. At the national level, the National Solar Mission, launched in 2010, set the framework for large-scale solar deployment, and India has since committed to achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Multiple Indian states have been designating solar cities to shift public lighting and government buildings off the conventional grid, and Ayodhya's elevation to this status places UP on that national map. The central government's PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana provides an additional financing layer for such transitions.

Stakeholders and Impact

For Ayodhya's residents and urban local bodies, solar-powered street lighting reduces dependence on grid electricity and lowers municipal energy costs over the long term. Renewable energy firms operating in Uttar Pradesh stand to benefit from the state's demonstrated willingness to commission large urban solar projects at religious and heritage sites. Pilgrims and tourists — who arrive in the city in the millions following the Ram Mandir inauguration — will experience a city whose public infrastructure is visibly aligned with sustainability goals. The move also carries reputational value for the state government ahead of future urban development tenders.

What's Next

The Uttar Pradesh government is expected to assess the Ayodhya model for replication in other municipalities across the state. Integration with central schemes such as the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana could accelerate the rollout to additional solar cities. Observers will watch whether the state formalises a solar-city designation framework and whether the Ayodhya project's energy output and coverage data are published for public accountability. The broader ambition, as signalled by the #PragatiBhiPrakritiBhi ('Progress as well as Nature') campaign, is to embed green infrastructure into UP's ongoing urban transformation.