As some estimates put the number of devotees expected to reach Ayodhya at 20 lakh plus, the city of just about 70,000 people has geared up to welcome them on what is a very special Ram Navami - the birth of Ram.
The word navami means ‘nine’ and Lord Ram was born on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra as per the Hindu lunar calendar. Hence, the name Ram Navami.
Celebrations started in the early hours of the morning with devotees taking a dip in the Sarayu to purify themselves before visiting the temple. The timings have been extended for the day and darshan shall be possible between 3.30am and 11pm. To further facilitate the movement of devotees, all VIP darshans and special darshans during the aartis (hymns sung thrice a day) have also been suspended.
To maintain security, the mela grounds have been divided into seven zones and 39 sectors. For traffic management, two zones and 11 clusters have been carved out.
To thwart off the possibility of any untoward incident at the Sarayu - despite the low level of the river, the use of Artificial Intelligence has been made to create fences. Such fences create boundaries without physical barriers, and with the help of advanced sensors and GPS tracking, a better watch can be kept on the movement of the devotees in the river. This is in addition to rope and chain fencing that is in place. Cameras have also been placed along the route and on the Naya Ghat to keep an eye on the number of devotees moving towards it, so that the crowds can be better managed.
At 12.16pm, the rays of the sun are to fall on the forehead of the new idol of Ram Lalla. The lenses and mirrors which shall enable this have already been checked for accurate placement. The ‘surya tilak’ is expected to last for five minutes.
Devotees shall not be allowed to carry any personal belongings inside the temple.
Ram Lalla has been decked specially for the day with a golden crown, diamond bracelets and an emerald ring. His clothes are yellow.
Two lakh packets of panjeeri (a mix of sugar, almonds, raisins etc. in wheat flour) have been set aside to give to devotees as prasad.
Against the normal 10-12 flights that land at Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki Ayodhya Dhaam International Airport daily, some 90 flights have been scheduled for Wednesday. This includes chartered planes.
