Due to the expected high volume of people in the temple town following the public opening of the Ram mandir through the star-studded ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony, bus services between Lucknow and Ayodhya have been suspended. According to officials, buses won’t operate on the route until things return to normal.
Yesterday, about 5 lakh worshippers showed up at the temple, despite the severe winters. According to officials, only 3 lakh of them were able to offer prayers, with the remaining individuals having to wait for their turn.
Images released this morning from Ayodhya revealed a sizable contingent of worshippers gathered outside the temple. Since the temple is expected to receive over a lakh visitors each day, the city has implemented strict security measures.
Around 8,000 security personnel from the Uttar Pradesh police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are deployed at the temple. Eight magistrates are in charge of different spots in the temple.
The Inspector-General of Police in Ayodhya, Praveen Kumar, has advised people to plan their visit after two weeks and not to rush.
“The crowd never stops, but the setup is finished. We request that the elderly and Divyang people plan their visit after a fortnight. I want to tell everyone that they don’t have to rush to get to Darshan. Everyone who makes better preparations will be able to enter the temple,” he informed news agency ANI.
