Ayodhya: The historic Pran Prathistha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which was held on Monday, witnessed a huge influx of devotees who flocked to the temple premises on Tuesday to have the Darshan of Lord Ram Lalla, the presiding deity of the temple.
According to Gaurav Dayal, the Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner, more than 1.5 lakh devotees visited the temple on the first day of Darshan, creating a massive crowd that exceeded the capacity of the temple compound. The Ayodhya administration had to temporarily suspend the Darshan from 11.30 am to 2 pm to regulate the flow of devotees and ensure their safety.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the construction and management of the temple, issued Darshan timings and advisory for devotees to avoid chaos and maintain the sanctity of the temple. Devotees will be allowed to see the idol of Ram Lalla from 7 am to 11.30 am and 2 pm to 7 pm. The temple will be closed for Darshan from 1 pm to 3 pm daily for cleaning and maintenance purposes.
The Trust also informed the devotees that they can offer fruits and milk to the idol of Lord Ram as per the guidelines set by the Trust. The idol of Ram Lalla, which is currently placed in a temporary structure inside the temple compound, will be shifted to the main sanctum sanctorum once the construction of the temple is completed.
The Trust also announced that the attire of Ram Lalla will vary throughout the week to reflect the different aspects of Lord Ram. The idol will be dressed in white on Monday, red on Tuesday, green on Wednesday, yellow on Thursday, pale yellow on Friday, blue on Saturday, and pink on Sunday. On special occasions, such as festivals and auspicious days, the idol will be adorned in yellow attire.
The devotees, who came from various parts of Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states, expressed their joy and gratitude for being able to witness the Darshan of Ram Lalla after a long wait. Many of them arrived at the temple as early as 3 am on Tuesday, braving the cold weather and the long queues. “Around 7 am, as the gates of the temple opened, a chaotic situation prevailed,” said Rajesh Pandey, a local who reached Ayodhya to see the temple. “But it was worth it. I felt blessed to see the divine face of Ram Lalla,” he added.
The security arrangements at the temple were tightened to manage the crowd and prevent any untoward incident. Inspector General of Police (IG), Ayodhya Praveen Kumar said newly deployed UP Special Forces and other security personnel have been given special instructions to manage the crowd. “Our responsibility is to manage the crowd but at the same time, we have to be the police as well. The security forces have been strictly told not to be harsh with the devotees and ensure strict management of the crowd”
The Pran Prathistha ceremony of the Ram Temple, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, marked the culmination of a decades-long legal and political struggle over the disputed site in Ayodhya, where the Babri Masjid once stood. The Supreme Court of India, in a landmark verdict in November 2019, paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple at the site, while 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.
