Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Devotees throng to view Ram Lalla as authorities ramp up preparations
Devotees throng Ram temple in India's Ayodhya as it opens doors for public
The newly consecrated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya witnessed an overwhelming influx of devotees for the second consecutive day on Jan 24, as people from across India and beyond queued up to offer prayers to Ram Lalla. Visuals showed a massive crowd at Rampath, the way towards Ram Temple inside which Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 'Pran Pratishtha' rituals and revealed the face of Ram Lalla on Monday, January 22.
On Tuesday (Jan 23), nearly five lakh devotees thronged the temple, braving the severe cold as they queued up from 3 am to secure an early entry.
Ayodhya Inspector General, Praveen Kumar, urged devotees to plan their visits wisely and added that while preparations were complete, the continuous crowd influx necessitated careful scheduling.
Security measures were visibly strict as devotees, clad in heavy winter robes, made their way into the temple complex for darshan (auspicious viewing).
Uttar Pradesh DG, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, assured smooth crowd management.
"We made sure that better crowd control and traffic management is done here. We were instructed that the devotees should not face any difficulty. We have all seen positive outcomes from today. Devotees are not getting withheld in the waiting area. They are sent to respective queues and darshan is being carried out smoothly. Today around 8000 police personnel are present in and around the temple. CRPF, SSF and other police officials will be deployed inside the temple...There will be changes made in the deployment outside the temple depending on the situation...," Kumar said.
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Videos circulating on social media depicted devotees taking a holy dip in the Sarayu River amidst dense fog and biting cold.
Devotees are allowed two daily time slots, from 7 am to 11:30 am and 2 pm to 7 pm, to catch a glimpse of the 51-inch Ram Lalla idol sculpted by Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru.
Addressing the gathering after unveiling the idol of Ram Lalla during a grand ceremony, PM Modi said a thousand years later, people will talk about Jan 22, 2024.
The PM added that the occasion is not only about victory but also about humility.
(With inputs from agencies)