On January 22, 2024, the dream of crores of Hindus across India and the world turned into reality with the inauguration of the Ram Lalla temple at Ayodhya Janmabhoomi.
Since the day of the inauguration, lakhs of tourists have thronged the temple every day to take the darshan of Ram Lalla.
Now while there is no harm in travelling and taking darshan at Ayodhya. One, who is planning a trip to Ayodhya must take precautions and advance booking is a must.
Maybe Ayodhya City is yet to get ready for such an influx of pilgrims.
My trip to Ayodhya…
Well, my trip to Ayodhya was accidental as I was in Delhi for some official work and since I finished it within a day instead of three days, I decided why not travel to Ayodhya, which was on my mind for quite some time now since January 22, 2024.
Since I could not get the direct train from Delhi, and flights wer too expensive, I decided to fly to Lucknow first and then took the Vande Bharat from Lucknow Railway station at 11.45 am.
Within two and a half hours, we reached Ayodhya Cantt, a crowded station though.
Do not take a cab or normal auto…
Immediately after deboarding the train and moving out, we were asked for autos, taxis etc but we decided to go with E- rickshaw as it takes you much closer to the temple, whereas the others drop you almost 2 kilometres away and then you need to walk.
Since we were to return the same day, we did not bring any luggage from Lucknow and reached straight toward the temple. Riding through the gallis and mahollas, the EV driver dropped us close to eeh temple, which was around 700 meters away.
We paid around Rs 200 for this ride.
Reaching the campus…
Soon, we realised the place was too crowded and even walking comfortably was not possible. Maybe this was the reason vehicles were not allowed near the temple.
We walked for more than 700 meters in the scorching heat and finally, we reached the security/ frisking point. Here the bags were checked/ frisked and we entered the temple campus.
No toilets inside…
As we entered inside after completing the security ched we we saw a huge queue for the depositing shoes. There are dozens of deposit stalls for shoes.
Just then we realised we needed to go to the washroom before with landed in the queue for darshan. We asked the security person and he said, we have to go out again and at the exit waiting halls there are washrooms.
Disappointed, but had to go so we moved out, walked for another 400 meters and then did the security check again and deposited our shoes.
Then we reached the mobile, wallet deposit counters. You also need to show them your Aadhar or identity card for depositing your valuables. There was a huge queue here too.
The darshan queue begins..
Immediately, we joined the darshan queue. There was no queue though people were all thronging to move towards the temple and there was no management. Huge crowd, no queue. People just keep pushing. After another 45 minutes of this suffering, you reach another frisking point.
You are checked thoroughly, no metal things, knives, blades, lighters etc allowed.
Thereafter, we got a small first glimpse of the temple. With the heat and the unruly crowd chanting “:Jai Shree Ram” we reached the first gate and here we saw some people trying to manage the crowd with barricades and railings in place.
We reached the front of the temple, and after about 20-30 minutes we got the darshan of Ram Lalla. As soon as we got the darshan, the pain and suffering of reaching here was over.
The idol made of Lord Shri Ram Lalla is in the form of a five-year-old child. The statue is 51 inches tall, made of black stone, and is very attractively made.
Shockingly, we waited for hours in the queue but the darshan was less than 5 seconds as we were pushed to exit lines.
The architechture…
The architecture of this huge temple is mesmerising. Supported by a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors, the Mandir is three-storied, with each floor being 20 feet tall. The pillars and walls showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities, gods and goddesses.
There are a total of five mandaps (halls) in the temple — Nritya Mandap, Rang Mandap, Sabha Mandap, Prathana Mandap and Kirtan Mandap.
The construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya takes a unique approach by avoiding the use of steel or iron. Instead, the project uses traditional construction materials, aligning with age-old building practices and demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.
The construction incorporates special bricks known as “Ram Shilas,” with the inscription “Shri Ram” on them. These bricks draw a symbolic parallel with the stones believed to have been used in the construction of Ram Setu, connecting the modern craftsmanship of the temple with ancient symbolism.
The incomplete work…
The workers at the site say it would take around 1-2 years for the work to be completed. With the huge crowd for darshans, it is becoming difficult for workers to finish work.
Ayodhya is not ready yet…??
While the temple is open for darshan, the work is far from over. The city has widened roads to access the temple but there are not enough hotels, accommodations and eateries close by.
Mismanagement in the queue is something which cannot be overlooked. Female devotees and children will feel uncomfortable in these “no queues”.
Agreed, it’s a great place to visit, but for family and children, I feel, there is still some time till the entire complex is ready and the infrastructure is developed around the campus.
We have seen some great work done near the temples of Tirupati and Shirdi Saibaba. But that too has taken years together to build that infrastructure and ith time Ayodhya will also develop such infrastructure but till then I think the devotees have to be cautious.
