Uttar Pradesh : Yogi Adityanath offers prayers at makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya

Huge crowds  shouted slogans of "Jai Sri Ram" to greet the Chief Minister in Ayodhya.

This is the 46-year-old Chief Minister's first Ayodhya visit since he took oath in March.

The event came a a day after senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and union Minister Uma Bharti were charged by a Lucknow court with conspiracy to demolish the 16th century Babri mosque in 1992.

In recent years, the BJP kept on back burner the Ram Janmbhoomi issue to gain what political observers feel, a greater acceptability to a wider section of people.

However, the timing of the UP CM offering prayers at the disputed place, particularly when the BJP-ruled Centre's cow slaughter stricture tends to stir up fresh religious sentiments, divisions, leaves  questions to be answered.

On Tuesday Yogi Adityanath was waiting with flowers to greet  Advani and other BJP leaders as they arrived at a Lucknow guest house  and held a meeting with them before they left to appear in court.

Apart from the visit to the temples, the Chief Minister has in a packed morning also inspected the condition of Saryu river and performed aarti there, NDTV said.

The Chief Minister is expected to address BJP workers and attend a law and order meeting before returning to Lucknow later on Wednesday evening.