Ram Temple: Ayodhya Borders Sealed, Buses & Trains Cancelled Amid Unprecedented Crowd 

All entries to Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya town have been sealed off amid the massive rush of devotees that has descended upon the temple town to visit the newly opened Ram Mandir, prompting even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to ask VIPs to not plan visits for now.

Nearly eight lakh people have visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya since it opened for public on January 23, a day after the 'Pran Pratishtha' or the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla idol that was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by hundreds of guests.

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Amid the unprecedented footfall of visitors, Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal has said that all traffic towards the district has been prohibited for crowd management.  

"We are trying to ease the situation. We have allowed emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying perishable items to enter Faizabad but all entries into Ayodhya town are sealed off. All traffic towards Ayodhya district have been prohibited,” news agency PTI quoted Dayal as saying.

• Borders Sealed, Buses & Trains Prohibited

All roads from Basti, Gonda, Ambedkarnagar, Barabanki, Sultanpur and Amethi have been blocked 15 km ahead of their borders with Ayodhya to regulate the movement of vehicles entering the holy city, officials said.

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses as well as trains coming into Ayodhya have also been cancelled, district officials said. Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal said, "We are trying to ease the situation. We are allowing emergency vehicles and vehicles carrying perishable items to move into Faizabad but the entry into Ayodhya town is still closed."

Ayodhya Commissioner Gaurav Dayal said vehicles from nearby districts have been barred from entering Ayodhya district.

Asked about steps taken to manage crowds at the temple, Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, "We have established a better queuing system for the devotees who are coming for darshan. The situation is under control."

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"Darshan is going on smoothly. We have established a public facilitation centre and a different exit route. There is no crowding now," PTI quoted Principal Secretary, Home, Sanjay Prasad as saying.

Roadways buses plying from Sultanpur to Ayodhya have also been stopped for crowd control.

Meanwhile, in wake of the overwhelming response of devotees, the temple administration has extended the timings for darshan so that the maximum number of devotees can be accommodated, the statement said. Devotees can now offer prayers at Ayodhya Ram temple between 6 am and 10 pm as against the earlier timings of 7 am to 11.30 am and 2 pm to 7 pm.

• Ayodhya Ram Mandir Sees Nearly 8 Lakh Visitors In Two Days

Nearly three lakh devotees offer prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, a day after the Mandir saw footfall of a whopping five lakh people. The temple opened for public on Tuesday, January 23.  

Amid the huge rush of devotees in Ayodhya, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday held a meeting with officials in Lucknow to review the steps taken for crowd management and advised VIPs planning to visit the temple to inform the authorities in advance.

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As the crowd swelled to an unmanageable extent at the Ram temple complex on its first day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an aerial inspection of the temple site and the city. CM Yogi Adityanath also visited the temple and later appealed to people to cooperate with officials and maintain patience as this would allow everyone to have a darshan of the deity.  

• PM Modi, Yogi Ask VIPs To Postpone Temple Visit

While UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked VIPs to inform the local administration a week in advance before scheduling their visit to the temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked Cabinet ministers to avoid visiting the Ram Mandir till March.

In a Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, PM Modi also asked the ministers about the feedback from the public after the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

ALSO READ | Ram Mandir: PM Modi Asks Ministers To Not Visit Ayodhya In February 

A statement by CM Yogi Adityanath, meanwhile, said: "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."

On the first day of its opening, the Ram Mandir saw devotees gathering from the wee hours even though the entry to the temple complex began at 6 am on Tuesday. The massive crowd was even seen breaking through the security setup at the entry.