Over 50 lakh people have visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya so far, 30 days after the historic pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the temple in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence, government officials told News18.
The walk and the queue are still long but well-managed and the wait time is shorter. Most pilgrims told News18 that the darshan (viewing) of Ram Lalla once inside the temple complex took them less than an hour. But all of them had a common thread of thought — a feeling of pride and glory to be at the temple.
Some who have seen Ram Lalla under a tent are here especially to see the transformation of the Lord’s abode to a grand temple. “It moved me to tears. I came last in 2004 and vowed never to return on seeing Ram Lalla under a dirty tent. This time, I have brought my children too so that they see our roots,” a woman who had come from Noida with her family told News18. “It is a moment of pride for Hindus.”
Over half a dozen flights are now landing in Ayodhya daily, the new Aastha trains are bringing in thousands of pilgrims every day to the holy town, and the Uttar Pradesh government has expanded the bus fleet — contributing to the nearly two-lakh-strong crowd at the temple per day.
One needs to walk about two to three kilometres on the chock-a-block Ram Path to get to the temple but the queues are being managed by security personnel at every step to ensure there is no pushing and chaos. The temple is already the most visited religious site in India, if not the world, officials said.
“We were worried about hearing reports of chaos and cancelled our trip on February 1. But some devotees who came back after darshan told us things are well-managed and systematic. So we got the reservation done for train tickets and are here. It is a joyous occasion. We had to walk over two kilometres to the temple but we enjoyed it as we got the feel,” a family from Ghaziabad told News18 while walking to the temple complex.
There were pilgrims from all over the country, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and even some from the United States. The aged, young, and parents with infants are in Ayodhya, as Lord Ram’s fervour has caught on.
Both the Ram Janmabhoomi Path and Bhakti Path leading to the main temple are full of pilgrims all around the day and the state’s Yogi Adityanath government has now decided to build three more access roads to the complex at a cost of Rs 300 crore to ease the rush.
Hotel rooms are expensive and hard to get — the average fare in respectable establishments is over Rs 6,000 a night. The Taj Group and Marriott Group are now building hotels and resorts here.
PM Modi this week unveiled investment projects worth Rs 3,200 crore for new hotels and resorts in Ayodhya.
A massive tent city built by the Yogi government in Ayodhya is proving to be a blessing for the poor coming from near and far. Buses are being run from this tent city to the temple complex and the railway station.
Many middle-income tourists are opting for the plethora of homestays in Ayodhya, giving a new livelihood to many locals.
The buses and electric three-wheelers are all packed but devotees do not seem to be complaining.
News18 met a young couple who had come with an infant to the Ram temple. “It took us just half an hour to get darshan. It was a beautiful experience. The system is very good,” they said. An elderly couple from Bihar said it took them an hour for darshan. “The arrangements are good, so we thank the chief minister for this. We came here for devotion, we faced no trouble,” they said.
An aged person saw us speak to people about the wait time at the temple and interjected. “So what if we have to wait for an hour for the darshan of Ram Lalla? It was a wait of 500 years for Hindus; we can surely wait for an hour now,” he exclaimed.
A couple from Madhya Pradesh said there is a need for multiple guidance centres in Ayodhya as an outsider does not know whom to ask for directions or which protocols to follow. “There should be LED screens depicting which route to take, where to deposit belongings, etc. It was difficult for us to walk so long but our pain was relieved when we got darshan of Ram Lalla. The new idol is mesmerising,” this couple said.
A young girl, who came with her family from Telangana, said it was a divine darshan and the Ram temple was igniting interest among the youth too. “We need to learn about our roots and the struggle here. I have heard that a big museum depicting the struggle for this temple will also come up soon inside the complex and it will be good if all see it,” she told News18.
Another highlight is the free wheelchair service being run by the temple trust for the aged — many thank the administration for it. An 85-year-old man from Gwalior, who used the wheelchair service with a helper provided by the trust, said it was good to get such a facility. Some others who used it said there was a need for an upgrade as demand was high but many wheelchairs were not in good shape.
News18 met a group of pilgrims from Kerala at the Ram Ki Paidi near the Saryu Ghat and another party of 44 people from Tamil Nadu who had come to Ayodhya for the first time after the Ram temple was opened up. “Lord Ram is revered in the south…we are here from so far away to see the grand temple. Ayodhya has now become a magnet for Ram Lalla devotees from across India. We need to know our roots and our struggle…this is a moment of pride for Hindus across the world. I don’t think the temple would have been possible without PM Modi and CM Yogi,” members of the group from Kerala said.
The message from Ayodhya is clear: come visit Ram Lalla. The incessant flow of people here is not abating any time soon — with Ram Navami in April and the summer holiday season coming up.
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