E-Paper
Massive crowd in Ayodhya for 14 kosi parikrama
Such was the enthusiasm of devotees that they started the 42-km long parikrama much before the auspicious time of 2.09am. As a result, the pilgrimage concluded on Tuesday evening much before the scheduled time of 11.38pm. Devotees started arriving since Monday evening and assembled at several starting points of the pilgrimage, including Guptar Ghat, Lakshman ghat, Sant Tulsidas ghat, Surya Kund, Girja Kund and Naka Hanuman Garhi among other locations.
Lucknow: Unprecedented crowd turned up in Ayodhya on Tuesday for the 14-kosi parikrama which began from Naka Hanuman Garhi temple and ended in the evening.
The massive influx for the annual pilgrimage is being attributed to the ongoing construction of the Ram temple that will be opened for devotees from January 22 next year.
Simultaneously, the famous Kartik Purnima mela also began in Ayodhya.
Such was the enthusiasm of devotees that they started the 42-km long parikrama much before the auspicious time of 2.09am. As a result, the pilgrimage concluded on Tuesday evening much before the scheduled time of 11.38pm.
Devotees started arriving since Monday evening and assembled at several starting points of the pilgrimage, including Guptar Ghat, Lakshman ghat, Sant Tulsidas ghat, Surya Kund, Girja Kund and Naka Hanuman Garhi among other locations.
The main parikrama began from the Naka Hanuman Garhi temple under vigil of the Anti -Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the state police.
The security agencies kept a watch on the pilgrimage through drones and CCTV cameras that were installed throughout the 42-km long pilgrimage.
Almost all public places in temple town, including the railway station, the bus stand and public parks were packed with devotees.
As most of the devotees take part in the yatra barefoot, the Ayodhya administration had laid sand throughout the route. It had also made special arrangements for snacks and tea along the entire route for pilgrims.
Ambulances were stationed on the route and medical camps were also set up.
Senior officials of Ayodhya administration, including divisional commissioner Gaurav Dayal, district magistrate Nitish Kumar, inspector general (IG) of police Praveen Kumar and senior superintendent of police Raj Karan Nayyar kept a watch on the yatra by taking rounds on the pilgrimage route.
The Ayodhya administration had divided the city in five zones for the yatra to enforce security measures.One super zonal magistrate, five zonal magistrates, 11 sector magistrates, two sub magistrates and 24 static magistrates were deployed to ensure successful completion of the yatra.
The panch kosi parikrama in Ayodhya will start from 9.25pm on Wednesday and end at 7:21 pm on Thursday
Kartik Purnima snan will start at 3:11 pm on November 26 and will end at 2: 36 pm the next day.
