Most pilgrims told that the darshan of Ram Lalla once inside the temple complex took them less than an hour. But all of them had a common thread of thought — a feeling of pride and glory to be at the temple
More than 50 lakh people have visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya so far, 30 days after the historic Pran Pratistha (consecration) ceremony of the temple in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, government officials .
The walk and queues are still long but well managed and wait times are short. Most pilgrims told that it took them less than an hour to have darshan (darshan) of Ram Lalla once inside the temple complex. But they all had one thing in common – a feeling of pride and glory in being in the temple.
Those who have seen Ramlala under the tent have come here specifically to see the abode of the Lord transformed into a grand temple. “It brought tears to my eyes. I last came in 2004 and after having darshan of Ramlala under a dirty tent, vowed never to return. This time, I have also brought my children so that they can see our roots,” a woman who came with her family from Noida told “This is a proud moment for Hindus.”
Now more than half a dozen flights are landing in Ayodhya every day, new Aastha trains are bringing thousands of pilgrims to the holy city every day, and the Uttar Pradesh government has expanded the bus fleet – contributing to the crowd of nearly two lakh. Is. Every day in the temple.
One has to walk about two to three kilometers on the packed Ram Path to reach the temple, but queues are being managed by security personnel at every step to ensure that there is no jostling and chaos. Officials said the temple is already the most visited religious site in India, if not the world.
“We were concerned after hearing reports of chaos and canceled our trip on February 1. But some devotees who came back after darshan told us that things are well managed and organized. So we made reservations for train tickets and here we are. This is a happy occasion. We had to walk more than two kilometers to the temple, but we enjoyed it the way we felt,” a family from Ghaziabad told while walking to the temple complex.
Both Ram Janmabhoomi Path and Bhakti Path leading to the main temple are filled with pilgrims throughout the day and the state’s Yogi Adityanath government has now decided to build three more access roads to the complex at a cost of Rs 300 crore to ease the crowd. Is. ,
Hotel rooms are expensive and difficult to get – the average fare in respectable establishments exceeds Rs 6,000 per night. Taj Group and Marriott Group are now building hotels and resorts here.
PM Modi this week unveiled investment projects worth Rs 3,200 crore for new hotels and resorts in Ayodhya.
The huge tent city built by the Yogi government in Ayodhya is proving to be a boon for the poor coming from far away places. Buses are being run from this tent city to the temple complex and railway station.
Many middle-income tourists are opting for homestays in Ayodhya, providing new livelihood to many local people.
The buses and electric three-wheelers are all packed but devotees have no complaints.
Met a young couple who had come to Ram temple with an infant. “It took us just half an hour to get darshan. It was a beautiful experience. The system is very good,” he said. An elderly couple from Bihar said it took them an hour to have darshan. “The arrangements are good, so we thank the Chief Minister for this. We came here for devotion, we did not face any problem,” he said.
An old man saw us talking to people in the temple about the waiting time and intervened. “So what if we have to wait for an hour to have darshan of Ramlala? It was a wait of 500 years for Hindus; We can definitely wait for an hour now,” he said.
A couple from Madhya Pradesh said there is a need for multiple guidance centers in Ayodhya as an outsider does not know from whom to ask for guidance or what protocols to follow. “There should be LED screens indicating which route to take, where to deposit the goods etc. It was difficult for us to walk for so long but when we saw Ram Lala, our pain went away. The new statue is mesmerizing,” said the couple.
A young girl who came with her family from Telangana said that it is a divine darshan and interest is being aroused towards Ram temple among the youth also. “We need to learn about our roots and the struggle here. I have heard that a big museum depicting the struggle of this temple will also be built inside the complex soon and it would be good for everyone to see it,” she said.
Another highlight is the free wheelchair service run by the temple trust for the elderly – many thank the administration for this. An 85-year-old man from Gwalior, who used the wheelchair service with an assistant provided by the trust, said it was good to have such a facility. Some others who used it said the upgrade was needed because demand was high but many of the wheelchairs were not in good condition.
Met a group of pilgrims from Kerala at Ram ki Paidi near Saryu Ghat and met another group of 44 people from Tamil Nadu who had come to Ayodhya for the first time after the opening of the Ram temple. “Lord Ram is revered in the south…We have come here from all this distance to see the grand temple. Ayodhya has now become an attraction for Ramlala devotees from all over India. We need to know our roots and our struggle…This is a proud moment for Hindus across the world. I don’t think the temple would have been possible without PM Modi and CM Yogi,” said members of the group from Kerala.
The message from Ayodhya is clear: Let’s have darshan of Ramlala. With Ram Navami and the summer holiday season approaching in April, the constant flow of people here is not going to slow down any time soon.