Ram temple witnesses big rush on day one

Ayodhya: A massive crowd that swelled by the hour and became unmanageable in the afternoon thronged the main gateway to the Ram temple here as it opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, a day after the consecration ceremony. Ram Path -- the main thoroughfare -- was choked as devotees flooded the streets of the temple town, which has been gripped by religious fervour over the inauguration of the grand mandir.

The entry of devotees to the temple complex began at 6 am and about 2.5 lakh people are likely to have visited the temple by 2 pm, Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal said. It is estimated that about five lakh devotees will have visited by the end of the day, another official said.

Waiting in serpentine queues outside the temple were people who had been camping in Ayodhya since before the consecration ceremony, having made long and difficult journeys to reach the temple town. An idol of the new Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Tuesday, 'Ram dhun' played in the streets as security personnel kept guard and sought to control the crowd even as many chanted "Jai Shri Ram" and attempted to enter through the gateway. For a couple hours in the afternoon, the crowd became so huge that the security personnel scrambled to maintain order. The entire section of the Ram Path facing the gateway was blocked as many devotees, some of whom landed with suitcases and backpacks, wanted to have a 'darshan'.

At the main gateway, the commotion in the crowd led to one devotee fainting and having to be taken for medical treatment. There was a “sudden massive rush” in the morning and the people were continuously streaming in, seeking to visit the temple and have a darshan of Ram Lalla, Dayal said.

Ayodhya police, in a post on X, refuted rumours that the temple was temporarily closed due to the heavy rush. Suresh Kumar and his friend from Chhattisgarh stood in the milling crowd, eager to have a ‘darshan’ but had little hope of getting in as they both carried suitcases. “We have come from Durg. We took a train to Kanpur and then a bus to Lucknow and another bus to Ayodhya and reached Ayodhya at 10.30 am,” he said.

Security guards later made a semi-circular human fence to manage the crowd as other personnel made announcements on loudspeakers to keep order. A large number of devotees had gathered outside the main gates for hours since late Monday night, waiting to enter the premises.

Carrying flags bearing the visages of Lord Ram and chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, the devotees waited for hours in the biting cold before the doors of the grand temple opened early in the morning. “Felt so delighted, my life’s aim has been fulfilled. Our ancestors struggled for this and it has been brought to fruition,” said Manish Verma, a devotee from Punjab.