People continued queuing up at the newly consecrated Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya on the second day. Visuals showed a massive crowd gathered at Rampath to offer prayers to Ram Lalla, whose face was revealed on Monday (January 22) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ rituals at the temple.
Nearly five lakh devotees visited the temple on Tuesday after it was opened to the public. A huge rush of devotees was witnessed outside the temple complex in the wee hours as people beat severe cold to catch a glimpse of Ram Lalla. Devotees had started queueing up from 3 am on Tuesday to get an easy entry to the Ram Mandir.
Ayodhya IG Range, Praveen Kumar, said that devotees need not rush to visit the temple and should take their time and plan accordingly. “The crowd is nonstop, but preparations are complete…We appeal to the old and different people to schedule their visit after two weeks,” he told the news agency ANI.
Visuals from this morning showed devotees in heavy winter robes gathered to enter the temple complex and offer their prayers to Ram Lalla. Security officers were seen maintaining a strict vigil before the devotees made their entry inside.
Uttar Pradesh DG, of Law and Order, Prashant Kumar, said that the queue system for crowd management has been improved and ‘darshan’ (visit) is going on smoothly. “I and (the) Principal Secretary Home are present here to oversee the management,” he told news agency PTI.
Videos on social media also showed devotees taking a holy dip in the Sarayu River in Ayodhya amid dense fog and biting cold in North India.
Devotees can visit the Ram Mandir in two time slots daily – from 7 am to 11:30 am, and again from 2 pm to 7 pm – to catch a glimpse of the 51-inch Ram Lalla idol, made by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj.
‘Darshan’ was briefly paused due to an overwhelming influx of devotees. The temple administration, in coordination with the police, decided to manage the immense crowd and ensure the safety of all visitors.
Meanwhile, PM Modi has called on people to go beyond the Ram Mandir’s construction and build a foundation of a strong, grand, and divine India for the next 1000 years.
