JOIN USAyodhya, a day after Ram temple's 'bhoomi pujan'
Crowds of devotees thronged the famous Hanuman Garhi and other important temples in Ayodhya on Thursday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the first brick for the construction of the Ram Temple.
The temples were closed for the public on Wednesday as part of a security measure.
Chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' rented the air as devotees comprising men, women and children paid obeisance at the makeshift Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Crowds of people were also seen offering prayers at temples at Naka, Chowk, Fatehganj, Rikabganj, Civil Lines, Naya Ghat and Ram ki Paidi areas.
The roads leading to the temple town also witnessed large crowds of people carrying saffron scarves, who arrived in the town from the neighbouring districts.
Social distancing protocols went for a toss as the devotees, who also included ascetics, jostled with each other to have 'darshan' at the temples.
Seers associated with ashrams and mutts in Ayodhya said on Thursday that they expected rush of devotees to the town from across the country.
"The bhoomi pujan ceremony has aroused interest of the people not only in the country but also abroad....we can expect the devotees to visit Ayodhya in large numbers in the days to come, especially after the coronavirus pandemic shows signs of abating," said a prominent Ayodhya-based seer.
Local officials also echoed similar sentiments. "We may see less influx in the next few days mainly owing to the pandemic but the numbers will increase after that," said a district official in Ayodhya.
Meanwhile the distribution of 'prasad' started in Ayodhya on Thursday and the first person to get the same was Mahaveer Kumar, who hailed from SC community.
Over one lakh packets of 'laddoo' would be distributed as 'prasad' among the residents of the town by the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teerth Trust, which was entrusted with the task of overseeing the construction of Ram Temple.