There is welcome news for those who wish to visit Ayodhya to witness the historic Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony. As the much-anticipated convocation on 22nd January approaches, the Indian Railways is gearing up to facilitate the journey for Hindu pilgrims by running over 1,000 special trains from various locations to Ayodhya around the country from 19th January. The operation is scheduled to continue for the first 100 days of the grand event.
The temple would be accessible to the general public from 23rd January which is one day after the consecration of Lord Sri Ram’s idol. The holy city would be connected to 25 major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Kolkata, Nagpur, Lucknow, and Jammu through these trains which would make travel easier for the devotees.
According to a source, the number of trains could be raised in response to demand and the Ayodhya station has been renovated to accommodate the anticipated surge in tourists. The rebuilt station which can handle 50,000 visitors per day is expected to be finished by 15th January.
While the railways has decided to run over a thousand special trains, the exact number and the schedule of the trains are being worked out in consultation with the state administration. Railway officials said that the number of these proposed trains can be increased considering the demand. The station at Ayodhya has also been revamped to cater to the high number of footfalls.
A few trains have also been designated aside as chartered services for pilgrimage groups. As a result of the high volume of pilgrims travelling to Ayodhya during this time, the Indian Railway Food and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is preparing to offer 24-hour food services. There are going to be several food vendors contracted to meet the demand. Apart from IRTC, several charity organisations will also offer food and water to the visiting pilgrims.
In addition to seeing the birthplace of Lord Ram, pilgrims would have the opportunity to experience the holy Saryu River from the comfort of an electric catamaran. Devotees who seek a spiritual experience in Ayodhya would find the 100-person catamaran to be an added attraction.
The majestic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is slated to have its ground level finished by the end of this year. The general secretary of the Sri Ram Janmbhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai released beautiful photographs of the temple’s sanctuary sanctorum on 9th December.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the event to install the Ram Lalla idol on the temple grounds on 22nd January, drawing thousands of Lord Ram followers to Ayodhya for the landmark event. Furthermore, notable individuals like industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Ratan Tata, cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli and Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan among other actors are invited to the consecration ceremony.
The plans for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration are reportedly under the control of the Ram Mandir Trust. As they approach the temple’s premises, devotees would be able to see Lord Ram Lalla from 320 feet away. However, the devotees would not be provided prasad after darshan and prayer.
All Ram devotees would receive prasad on the day of the inauguration as a result of special arrangements. Four rows of devotees are going to be set up for darshan and between 1.5 and 2.5 lakh people are projected to visit the sacred site in a single day.
