MUMBAI: Actor Arun Mandola, who is known to play Lakshman in the show Vighnaharta Ganesha, has been invited by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Honourable Yogi Adityanath to the state of Ayodhya. As part of the big event, Arun will be attending in the character of Lakshman and gracing the stage. He is elated with the invitation and looking forward to attend it.

"We got the invitation letter from Uttar Pradesh Honourable Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji and Uttar Pradesh tourism department. They have invited me as Lakshman in Ayodhya," he shares. It is not just the honour of getting invited to a place like Ayodhya, but also because Arun will be the first artist to appear as Lord Lakshman. "This is an extremely special event for me because I am the first person who will be there as lakshman in Ayodhya. It is approximately 7000 years of glory with this temple. I am listening to Ram Lakshman stories from my childhood. Six months back I was praying to God that I wish to be in temple. I wish to be as Lakshman in Ayodhya. I am very spiritual, so this is not just an event for me. It's clearly God's blessing for me to be part of the grandeur," he says. Arun also goes down memory lane to remember how he always wanted to be where he is in life. "When people appreciate me as Lakshman, I remember the day when I was standing on Hanuman ji temple on Tuesday and watching his statue and I was telling to lord Hanuman Maybe I get the chance to sit on your shoulder and after many years this dream come true and this is a miracle in my life. This may sound silly but miracles do happen. When I go for the events like this people see us as God and they want to take selfies with us and we have to be very calm and polite because that time we are something else in that costume. It is a big responsibility for me to maintain that aura," he says.