Railings on Hanuman Garhi road irk shop owners in Ayodhya

Around 200 sweetmeat shop owners on Hanuman Garhi road in Ayodhya kept their establishments closed on Saturday to protest the installation of railings on the entire stretch of the road.

LUCKNOW: With just a day left for the nine-day long Navratri to start, shopkeepers on Hanuman Garhi road in Ayodhya are opposing the district administration’s move to install iron railings to regulate the movement of devotees, pointing out a decline in sales.

Priests of Hanuman Garhi are endorsing the district administration’s move and assert that the railings have streamlined the movement of devotees. (Sourced)

Devotees in large numbers are turning up at Hanuman Garhi, making it difficult for the temple management and the Ayodhya administration to control the crowd’s movement.

Around 200 sweetmeat shop owners on Hanuman Garhi road in Ayodhya kept their establishments closed on Saturday to protest the installation of railings on the entire stretch of the road. They also handed over a memorandum to the Ayodhya administration expressing their concern over the issue.

“Iron railings have been installed along the entire stretch of Hanuman Garhi road. Once a devotee enters this area, their movement gets restricted by these railings,” said Nand Lal Gupta, a prominent sweetmeat shop owner near Hanuman Garhi.

“These railings are closed from both sides, and no one is able to move out from the queue to purchase prasad (offerings for the deity),” he added.

Saints of Hanuman Garhi are endorsing the district administration’s move and assert that the railings have streamlined the movement of devotees.

“Due to the increased pressure of devotees, railings are necessary to prevent stampede-like situations. Within the temple complex, we have also created six queues to regulate the movement of devotees,” said Mahesh Das, disciple of the head priest of Hanuman Garhi, Prem Das.

However, he advised the administration to create opening in railings so that devotees could move out to purchase prasad for the deity.

Meanwhile, Mahant Sanjay Das has advised that the movement of VVIPs during the nine-day long Navratri in Ayodhya should be stopped.

“The movement of VVIPs in Ayodhya should be banned during Navratri. Only the prime minister, chief minister, and chief justice of India should be permitted during this period,” added Sanjay Das.