Heavy rush in Ayodhya: PM Modi advises Cabinet ministers to visit Ram Mandir in March

A day after a massive rush was seen at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday advised all his cabinet colleagues to refrain from visiting the temple town for now, sources told news agency ANI. The Prime Minister suggested that, due to the heavy rush and to prevent inconvenience to the public caused by VIPs with protocols. He said the central ministers should plan their visits to Ayodhya in March. 

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Ayodhya's historic Ram Mandir was thrown open to the general public on Tuesday, a day after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on Monday. Thousands of devotees from across the country started queing up for the darshan from the midnight. Ram Path -- the main thoroughfare -- was choked as devotees flooded the streets of the temple town.

More than 5 lakh people visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Tuesday, the first day of the darshan. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to people to cooperate with officials and remain patient. He said this would allow everyone a chance for ‘darshan’ of the deity. 

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The entry of devotees to the temple complex began at 6 am and about 2.5 lakh people visited the temple by 2 pm. 

Waiting in serpentine queues outside the temple were people who had been camping in Ayodhya since before the consecration ceremony, having made long and difficult journeys to reach the temple town. The entire section of the Ram Path facing the gateway was blocked as many devotees, some of whom landed with suitcases and backpacks, wanted to have a 'darshan'.

At the main gateway, the commotion in the crowd led to one devotee fainting and having to be taken for medical treatment. There was a "sudden massive rush" in the morning and the people were continuously streaming in, seeking to visit the temple and have a darshan of Ram Lalla, Ayodhya Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal told PTI.

The Ram Mandir complex, built in the traditional Nagara style, is 380 feet long from the east to the west, 250 feet wide and will eventually rise to 161 feet at the 'shikhar'.

(With inputs from PTI)