Ayodhya, Varanasi Temples See Unprecedented Rush On New Yr’s Day
Ayodhya:
The temple cities of Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday witnessed an unprecedented rush of devotees on the primary day of the New Yr.
The Ram temple at Ayodhya was consecrated on January 22 final 12 months.
In response to native administration estimates, over two lakh devotees had already arrange camps in Ayodhya on New Yr Eve. On Wednesday morning, roughly three lakh extra folks arrived to pay homage to the deity of Ram Lalla.
The eagerness of devotees was palpable as they lined up for ‘darshan’ of the idol which was unveiled at dawn on the primary day of the 12 months.
In Varanasi, a large crowd of devotees thronged the sacred premises of Baba Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple from 3 am on Wednesday. The frenzy continued until late night as a part of New Yr celebrations.
The temple administration reported that by 4 pm, a whopping 3.5 lakh devotees had visited the temple to supply prayers and search the blessings of Baba Shri Kashi Vishwanath.
In an announcement, Ram Temple Belief common secretary Champat Rai stated the whole world is celebrating the New Yr in line with the Gregorian calendar. The winter season coupled with a vacation break contributed to the excessive variety of guests, he defined.
With colleges, courts and agricultural work closed for the season, he stated “folks usually take holidays throughout this time”.
“More and more, Ayodhya has turn out to be a primary vacation spot for pilgrims as an alternative of extra conventional vacationer spots like Goa, Nainital, Shimla or Mussoorie,” Rai stated.
The Ayodhya administration divided the town into a number of sectors and zones to manage the massive crowds. Heavy police presence was deployed to handle the surging crowds. Visitors restrictions had been imposed and round the clock car inspections had been performed, native officers stated.
The rise within the variety of devotees had begun a day earlier. By Tuesday night, greater than two lakh pilgrims had already accomplished ‘darshan’. Inns, dharamshalas and homestays had been absolutely booked as each native and outstation guests poured into the city.
Related scenes unfolded on the Hanumangarhi temple, the place the crowds remained regular from the early morning ‘aarti’ till the ‘shayan aarti’ within the night.
To accommodate the large inflow, the administration had ready 10 extra customer galleries alongside the Ram Janmabhoomi path, increasing the variety of darshan strains from 10 to twenty. Particular safety measures had been additionally enforced to make sure the security of the devotees.
Ayodhya Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Tiwari added that the town has been divided into seven safety sectors and 24 zones, with senior officers deployed in every space. Drone cameras are used to watch crowded places and site visitors motion was strictly managed to keep away from congestion and guarantee public security.
In Varanasi, the Chief Govt Officer of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, stated the variety of guests has been rising steadily since December 28. On the event of New Yr, temple authorities had anticipated the excessive inflow and took steps to handle the state of affairs effectively.
“The gang began gathering early within the morning and by 4 pm, we had already witnessed 3.5 lakh devotees. The numbers proceed to rise and devotees are nonetheless queuing to hunt darshan,” stated Mishra.
In response to the overwhelming crowd, temple officers had imposed sure restrictions. To handle the massive variety of guests, Baba’s “contact darshan” was prohibited on each December 31 and January 1. Moreover, entry into the sanctum sanctorum was restricted and automobiles had been banned from getting into Maidagin to Godaulia highway to make sure easy motion of pilgrims.
To make sure public security and forestall any untoward incidents, the district police have been on excessive alert. DCP Kashi Zone, Gaurav Bansal, said that in depth safety measures had been in place with 5 sectors created and 45 responsibility factors established throughout the Kashi Vishwanath temple complicated.
Safety personnel have additionally been deployed at key temples and ghats throughout the town, together with the Baba Kaal Bhairav temple and Sankat Mochan temple, the place 11 and eight responsibility factors respectively had been arrange.
Particular forces, together with the Nationwide Catastrophe Response Drive (NDRF), Water Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been stationed at numerous ghats, anticipating a big crowd for the New Yr celebrations. In case of emergencies, 12 fast response groups (QRTs) are on standby.
The safety preparations and crowd management measures replicate the temple’s efforts to make sure a secure and peaceable expertise for the devotees visiting the Kashi Vishwanath temple on this special day, Bansal stated.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
