Amid a heavy rush of devotees in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged Union ministers to defer their visit to the Ram Mandir to March.
Modi chaired a cabinet meeting where he voiced concern over the massive influx of devotees and the inconvenience caused to the public by VVIP and VIP visits to the temple town along with elaborate security details, reported ANI.
Around three lakh people paid obeisance to Ram Lalla till afternoon on Wednesday. On Tuesday—the first day after the temple opened its doors for the public—around five lakh devotees visited the shrine, according to reports.
Chief Minister Yodi Adityanath, who held a meeting with officials in Lucknow to review the steps taken for crowd management, advised VIPs planning to visit the temple to inform the authorities in advance.
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Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said around 1,000 jawans have been deployed inside and outside the temple.
"We will ensure that devotees are not inconvenienced. About 1,000 jawans have been deployed inside and outside the temple. The deployment will continue for the next few days,” he told ANI.
Roadways buses plying from Sultanpur to Ayodhya have been also stopped for crowd control.
According to an official statement, Adityanath advised VIPs to inform the state government or the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust about their visits a week before scheduling them.
"A multitude of devotees from across the country are flocking to Ayodhya Dham, eager to catch a glimpse of their revered deity Lord Shri Ram. Given the extraordinary influx, VIPs and distinguished individuals... it would be appropriate for them to inform the local administration, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, or the Uttar Pradesh Government a week in advance before scheduling their visit," the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.
According to ANI, the rush of devotees was seen not just at the Ram temple but at the adjoining Hanuman Garhi Temple as well. The devotees, in their thousands, were seen offering laddus to Lord Hanuman and distributing the 'prasad' among themselves.
People from various states have been thronging Ayodhya since Tuesday a day after the consecration ceremony of the Ram idol in the newly built temple was held in the presence of Modi and Adityanath.
