Devotees throng Ram temple in Ayodhya after it opens for general public

A large number of devotees, both locals and from other states, gathered outside the gates of the temple since Monday night amid tight security, to enter the premises

A day after the pran pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla, devotees reached the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya after it opened the doors for the general public.

An idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday. (HT Photo)

A large number of devotees, both locals and from other states, gathered outside the gates of the temple since Monday night amid tight security, to enter the premises.

The rush was maximum on the two-kilometer stretch of Bhakti Path and along the Ram Path that connects to the Ram Mandir.

A queue several kilometers long had begun to develop since the wee hours of Tuesday.

The devotees were allowed entry in batches but as the crowd grew in numbers, the security personnel had to shut the temple gates for sometime to regulate the flow.

“Don’t call it a crowd, they are devotees. Yes, there were some problems but that reflects devotion, doesn’t it? And it’s because of their unwavering belief and desire to see the lord rest in such a grand abode that Ram Mandir became a reality,” said Jaisnavi, a woman devotee from Gujarat.

Inspector general of police IGP), Ayodhya range, Praveen Kumar said, “Extra force is deployed to guard against any untoward incident, but people are requested to wait for their turn to ensure that there is no panic.

Another official said that a crowd management plan will be put in place after analysing daily footfalls.

The police of neighbouring districts like Barabanki have appealed to devotees to avoid visiting the Ram Mandir and later put diversions in place to regulate flow of devotees headed towards the temple town.

Inside Ayodhya, devotees had no complaints waiting for the gates to open later for darshan.

“It’s a joyous occasion and we would of course wait till we get to see the magical face of Ram Lalla,” said another devotee.

Ram Mandir’s head priest also expressed his happiness.

“For people like us, it appears like we are transported into the Treta Yug when Ram ji was there. It’s like the lord’s second homecoming,” he said.

“Asli bheed toh ab aayegi... Yeh lambha chalega... Ayodhya se bahar se jyada log ayenge (the real crowd will start building up as majority of the devotees would be from outside Ayodhya and UP,” said Monu Pandey, a resident of Ashrafi Bhawan crossing.

There are two slots provided by the temple Trust for devotees seeking darshan of Ram Lalla. The first one is from 7am to 11:30am while the second is from 2pm to 7pm.

Built in the traditional Nagara style of architecture with intricate carvings of deities adorning its white marble walls, the temple spans 380 feet in length and 250 feet in width, with its tallest spire at 161 feet.

Supported by 392 columns and accessible through 44 doors, the temple is built on the 2.77 acre plot.