Ayodhya: The Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the holy city of Lord Shri Ram, has opened its doors to devotees from across the country after the Pran Pratistha (consecration) ceremony of the temple on Monday. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other dignitaries, who performed the rituals and laid the foundation stone of the temple.
The devotees, who have been eagerly waiting for the darshan (sight) of Lord Ram Lala (the child form of Lord Ram), can now visit the temple from 7 am to 11.30 am and from 2 pm to 7 pm every day. The Ram Mandir Trust, which oversees the construction and management of the temple, has decided the rules for worshiping Lord Ram Lala. According to the rules, a code-named Shri Ramopasna has been made, which outlines the procedures and timings for the worship and adornment of the deity. The preparations for worship and makeup start from 3 am and Lord Ram Lala is woken up at 4 am. Fruits and milk are offered to Ram Lala every hour, and every devotee gets 15 to 20 seconds to have a darshan of Ram Lala.
To ensure a smooth and safe darshan experience for the devotees, the Ram Mandir Trust has also issued passes for darshan, which can be obtained from the office of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Camp half an hour before the darshan. For this, devotees have to carry valid proof of identity. Free passes have also been issued for darshan to the devotees who came earlier, under which at present only 30 people are being given passes. Devotees can also book darshan online by visiting https://online.srjbtkshetra.org/.
To facilitate the tourism and pilgrimage of the devotees, the Ayodhya Development Authority has prepared a tourism-centric mobile app, which provides information about the major places, transportation, and map of Ayodhya. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The app also gives information about the entry and exit points of the Ram temple, which are from the eastern and southern directions respectively. There are 32 stairs for darshan in the temple. In the main sanctum, there is the idol of Lord Ram Lala, and on the first floor, there is the court of Shri Ram. Apart from this, the ancient temple of Lord Shiva on Navratna Kuber Tila in the south-western part of the temple complex has been renovated. A statue of Jatayu, the mythical bird who tried to save Sita from Ravana, has been installed there.
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya is a symbol of the faith and devotion of millions of Hindus, who believe that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple is being built on the site where a 16th-century mosque, known as Babri Masjid, once stood. The mosque was demolished by Hindu activists in 1992, sparking communal riots across the country. The Supreme Court of India, in a landmark verdict in 2019, cleared the way for the construction of the Ram Temple, while also allotting a separate plot of land for the construction of a mosque. The construction of the Ram Temple is expected to be completed by 2025.
