Heavy rush of devotees at Ram Temple in Ayodhya to offer prayers

New Delhi, Ayodhya: A massive crowd that swelled by the hour and became unmanageable in the afternoon thronged the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya when its doors were opened to the public on Tuesday, a day after the consecration ceremony.

It was estimated that about five lakh devotees would have visited the temple when the doors closed at 7 pm, an official said.

Rampath, the main thoroughfare,  was choked as devotees flooded the streets. 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.

'Ram dhun' played in the streets as security personnel kept guard and sought to control the crowd even as many chanted “Jai Sri Ram” and attempted to enter the temple.

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 Rampath 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.

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, an official said.

The administration is taking measures to keep the crowd in order, “with proper holding (area), queuing and proper barricading”, he added.

Uttar Pradesh information director Shishir said more than 8,000 policemen are deployed at the temple and “everything is under control”.

Director General, law and order, Prashant Kumar and principal secretary, home, Sanjay Prasad were inside the temple and overseeing the arrangements.

Ayodhya police, in a post on X, also 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 told PTI.

The pair said they made a “sudden plan” to visit Ayodhya.

“We have come just for the 'darshan'. We will go back today,” 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.

Nitish Kumar, a resident of Bihar's Madhepura district, cycled more than 600 kilometres to reach Ayodhya.

“There is a massive rush but I am hopeful I will get a chance to have 'darshan' today. I will start my journey back once my wish is fulfilled. Though I couldn't go to the temple on Monday, what a day it was to be in Ayodhya,” he told PTI.

Anurag Sharma from Rajasthan's Sikar was seen walking around with a model of the temple on the day of the consecration ceremony.

“I brought this model with me from my hometown. I arrived on the inaugural flight to Ayodhya and I have been here since then. I will go back only after having a 'darshan' of Ram Lalla,” he told PTI.

Groups of people could also be seen marching towards the temple, passing through the decked-up Ram Path.

“Ram Lalla gave us the strength to walk all the way from Chhattisgarh and now He only will get us through this crowd so we can take His blessings,” said Sunil Madho, part of an eight-member group that undertook a 'padyatra' to Ayodhya.

Maharashtra native Gopal Krishna, who arrived in Ayodhya a few days ago, also jostled in the thick crowd as it moved towards the security check.

“We came here a few days ago as Lord Ram called us. People were telling us to not travel as police would impose restrictions on travel and rooms would not be available in hotels. We are staying at an ashram and this is the day we waited for,” he said.