On the first day of the new year, an unprecedented influx of devotees was seen in Ayodhya and Varanasi. More than three lakh devotees reached Ayodhya to have darshan of Ramlala, while more than 3.5 lakh devotees offered prayers at Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
More than two lakh devotees had visited Ayodhya since Tuesday evening. By Wednesday morning this number reached almost five lakh. Champat Rai, Secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, said that due to winter holidays and New Year celebrations, Ayodhya is now becoming a major pilgrimage site.
Crowd of devotees gathered to see God
For the convenience of the devotees, 10 additional darshan galleries were built in the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, taking the number of darshan lines to 20. The entire city was divided into seven security sectors and 24 zones. Strict traffic control was maintained with drone cameras and deployment of heavy police force.
Crowd started gathering at Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi from 3 in the morning. By 4 pm, 3.5 lakh devotees had visited. The temple administration had banned darshan and entry into the sanctum sanctorum for the safety of the devotees.
Crowd started gathering in Vishwanath temple from 3 am in the morning.
The District Magistrate and the police force also made tight security arrangements at the major ghats and temples of the city. Five security sectors and 45 duty points were created in the Kashi Vishwanath temple complex. In view of the increasing crowd in Ayodhya, the administration issued a traffic advisory. No entry of vehicles has been made on many routes.