65 lakh devotees flock to Ayodhya within 96 hours

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65 lakh devotees flock to Ayodhya within 96 hours

Friday, 31 January 2025 | PNS | Ayodhya

After a holy dip in the Prayagraj Maha Kumbh on Mauni Amavasya, a sea of devotees has started arriving in Ayodhya and the trend continued uninterrupted on Thursday afternoon.

The streets of this sacred city were packed overnight, and as dawn broke, the air resonated with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Experts estimate that approximately 65 lakh devotees have reached Ayodhya in 96 hours.

With the swelling crowd, senior officials took over command and personally inspected the arrangements throughout the night. Many pilgrims, carrying bundles on their heads and devotion in their hearts, have made their way directly from Prayagraj to Ayodhya.

The ritual bathing commenced on the banks of the Saryu river from 4 am, followed by pilgrimages to Hanuman Garhi and the Ram temple. There was a sea of pilgrims on Rampath and Bhaktipath with long queues stretching late into the night as they waited for ‘darshan’.

Given the overwhelming turnout, temple authorities extended the darshan hours to 18 hours daily, accommodating an estimated three lakh devotees visiting Ram Temple and Hanuman Garhi each day.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is actively monitoring the situation, issuing directives to ensure seamless management. As a result, officials and employees are working tirelessly to assist pilgrims.

To support the influx, police personnel stationed at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex provide water to devotees. Additionally, medical camps have been set up within the temple premises for health assistance. Volunteers from the Ram Mandir Trust have also been deployed to serve the pilgrims.

Recognising the growing number of devotees, extensive arrangements have been made to manage the rush. Holding areas have been set up along the routes from Gonda, Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur and Lucknow to regulate the flow of pilgrims.

Large groups from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat continue to arrive in Ayodhya for ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla.

Special rail services from Prayagraj Maha Kumbh are also bringing in thousands of devotees daily. To ensure their comfort, Municipal Commissioner Santosh Kumar Sharma has made arrangements for making announcements through loudspeakers near Cantonment railway station and Guru Govind Singh intersection, urging pilgrims to utilise nearby shelters for safe and convenient accommodation.

A high-level administrative presence ensures smooth operations on the ground. Top officials are actively overseeing arrangements, including ADG Lucknow Zone SB Shirodkar, IG Praveen Kumar, Commissioner Gaurav Dayal, District Magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh and SSP Rajkaran Nair. Superintendent of Police (Security) Balramchari supervises security at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, ensuring regulated darshan is followed under strict security protocols. Paramilitary forces, along with civil police and PAC, have been deployed for added vigilance.

Additionally, divisional commissioner, ADG Zone and IG Birla are personally conducting security inspections, walking from Dharamshala to Lata Chowk, interacting with devotees, and reviewing arrangements.

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