While Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath is planning to take his cabinet to Ayodhya for darshan in the coming days, the Ministers of Narendra Modi’s cabinet at the centre may not visit the holy temple till March. Amidst the bustling crowds of devotees in Ayodhya eager to catch a glimpse of Ram Lalla, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. During the meeting, he advised his top ministers to postpone their visits to the grand temple to alleviate the heavy rush and inconvenience caused to the public by VVIP and VIP visits, coupled with extensive security arrangements.
Government sources revealed that Prime Minister Modi expressed concern about the challenges faced by devotees and proposed that Union ministers either plan or defer their visits to Ayodhya in March. This suggestion aims to ensure a more organized and smoother experience for everyone involved.
On Wednesday, the fervor among the visiting devotees and locals remained palpable, reminiscent of the prior days when the temple opened for darshan. The temple experienced a surge in footfalls after the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla and its grand opening on Monday. Tightened security measures were put in place in Ayodhya after an estimated 5 lakh devotees attended the darshan on Tuesday.
Rapid Action Force (RAF) Deputy Commandant Arun Kumar Tiwari assured that the security forces, with around 1,000 jawans deployed inside and outside the temple, would ensure minimal inconvenience to the devotees. This deployment is expected to continue for the next few days.
The influx of devotees was not limited to the Ram Temple; the adjoining Hanuman Garhi Temple also witnessed a substantial crowd. Thousands of devotees offered laddus to Lord Hanuman and shared the ‘prasad’ among themselves.
The festive atmosphere in the temple town is anticipated to heighten over the next few days as the International Ramayan Utsav is set to take place from January 24-28 at Ram Katha Park and Tulsi Udyan in Ayodhya. Organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the International Ramayan and Vedic Research Institute Department of Culture, Uttar Pradesh, the event will host representations from countries such as Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Mauritius, and Laos.