All roads to Ayodhya sealed off to manage rush, officials say

Only emergency vehicles and those carrying perishable items are being allowed entry. State-run buses and trains to Ayodhya have been cancelled.

In response to an unprecedented pilgrim rush even on the second day of the consecration of the Ram Mandir on Wednesday, the Ayodhya district administration has sealed off the temple town’s borders for the time being, officials have confirmed.

Heavy force outside Ram Temple gate to manage the crowd in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh India on Tuesday. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

While more RAF and CRPF personnel were deployed outside the temple premises for better crowd management, the administration has formed blockades 15 kilometres ahead of the district borders to stop traffic from Basti, Gonda, Ambedkar Nagar, Barababanki, Sultanpur and Amethi routes. Only emergency vehicles and others carrying perishable items are being allowed to enter certain sections of the district.

Even state-run buses and trains plying to Ayodhya have been cancelled.

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Ayodhya commissioner Gaurav Dayal said: “We are trying to ease the situation. We have allowed emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying perishable items to enter Faizabad but all entries into Ayodhya town are sealed off. All traffic towards Ayodhya district have been prohibited.”

Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested his cabinet colleagues to not visit the temple till March in view of the rush.