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Makar Sankranti: Ayodhya admin bracing up for biggest pre-consecration gathering of devotees
The Ayodhya administration is preparing for a large gathering of devotees on Makar Sankranti, with 800 cleaning staff and increased security measures. The arrival of pilgrims is set to begin on Sunday, and the city has been divided into five zones for crowd management. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has also made preparations for the smooth entry and exit of devotees. Traffic diversions have been enforced and entry of four-wheelers has been banned on Monday.
The Ayodhya administration will deploy 800 cleaning staff and beef up security with strong police presence for the biggest pre-Pran Pratishtha congregation of devotees on Makar Sankranti on Monday when pilgrims will take a holy dip in the Saryu river and then visit Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanuman Garhi to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla and Lord Hanuman respectively.
“In previous years, no such heavy crowd used to gather in Ayodhya on Makar Sankranti, but after the upcoming grand Ram temple, we are expecting that the number of pilgrims may go (up) to several lakhs. So, accordingly we have arranged our system,” Ayodhya district magistrate Nitish Kumar said.
“The Ayodhya Municipal Corporation is ready to put an army of more than 800 cleaning staff (to work) and we wil deploy enough security forces for the safety of Ayodhya,” Kumar said.
The arrival of pilgrims is set to begin on Sunday when the four-day Makar Sankranti fairs commences, the same day on which chief minister Yogi Adityanath is also expected to be in Ayodhya to review preparations for the week-long Pran Pratishtha rituals starting on January 16. The Ram Mandir will be closed for three days from January 20 for the main Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the temple on January 22.
“All preparations have been made for Makar Sankranti. Adequate police force will be deployed and traffic diversions will be enforced in Ayodhya,” said Gaurav Dayal, divisional commissioner, Ayodhya.
For crowd management, the Ayodhya administration has divided the city into five zones. Each zone will be headed by a zonal sector magistrate and a police officer. A control centre has been set up at the Ram Katha Museum.
To prevent any untoward incident, Jal Police personnel have been deployed at all prominent ghats where devotees will congregate to take a holy dip in the Saryu.
Traffic diversions have been enforced across the city and entry of four-wheelers has been banned in Ayodhya Dham on Monday.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has also made elaborate preparations to ensure the smooth entry and exit of devotees.
“We have enough experience to manage crowd. Every year, several lakh people turn up at Ram Janmabhoomi on Makar Sankranti. This year, the Trust is expecting a massive turnout of devotees on Makar Sankranti due to enthusiasm among masses for the pran pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla (on January 22),” said Sharad Sharma, regional spokesperson, VHP.
“We are prepared to manage the crowd at Ram Janmabhoomi this Makar Sankranti,” Sharma added.
As per the Hindu calendar, rituals can only take place from Makar Sankranti when the Sun moves from southern hemisphere to Northern hemisphere, the Trust said.
Pilgrims also visit Kanak Bhawan, Nageshwar Nath, Dashrath Mahal, Hanuman Sadan and Rang Mahal and other religious destinations in Ayodhya on Makar Sankranti.
They arrive from the adjoining districts of Gonda, Ambedkar Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sultanpur, Bahraich and Barabanki.
Local police and personnel from adjoining districts will also be deployed in Ayodhya along with the State Disaster Response Force and Jal Police at all the ghats.
