Ayodhya: Devotees gather in huge numbers outside Ram Temple to offer prayers

AYODHYA: A massive crowd gathered at Rampath to offer prayers to Ram Lalla on Wednesday, two days after the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of the deity. The visuals from outside the temple showed a huge number of devotees braving the cold weather to have the 'darshan' of Shri Ram Lalla.

Inspector-General of Police Ayodhya, Praveen Kumar, said that the crowd is nonstop and appealed to the people not to hurry for Darshan. "The crowd is nonstop but preparations are complete. We appeal to the old and Divyang people to schedule their visit after two weeks. I want to appeal to the people that there's no need to hurry for Darshan. The temple will be opened for everyone with better preparations," IG Kumar told ANI.

Earlier, Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, Vijay Kumar, said that a sufficient number of police and other security personnel have been deployed in and around the Ram Temple premises in Ayodhya as hoards of devotees throng to offer prayers to Lord Ram Lalla. The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at Ram Temple in Ayodhya was held on Monday. The Ram Lalla idol was unveiled at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony after the hour-long rituals in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led the ceremony.

"A sufficient force has been deployed inside, especially at the main points where devotees go for darshan, to ensure there is no excessive pressure. Traffic police, PCR, and water police have been deployed in full strength to ensure that incoming devotees face no inconvenience," DGP Kumar, said. Further, the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, informed that all arrangements are being made so that the devotees do not face any inconvenience and added that all necessary facilities will be in place for the devotees.

"All arrangements are being made so that if a large number of devotees come together, they won't face any inconvenience. Whether 50 thousand devotees come together or any other number, they won't have to wait, and all necessary facilities will be in place," the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, added. As per Uttar Pradesh's government officials, around 2.5 lakh to 3 lakh devotees have so far offered prayers to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya's Ram Temple on Tuesday and a similar number of devotees are awaiting the darshan.

The Ram Temple was thrown open to the general public on Tuesday after the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony was performed on January 22.