Ayodhya: As Ayodhya gears up for Ram Navami celebrations on Wednesday - the first after the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram temple - elaborate arrangements and security measures have been made by the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure the smooth conduct of the festivities.
In view of the increased footfall of devotees on Wednesday, the temple will be opened in the early hours and visits will be permitted until late at night. '56 Bhog' will also be offered to Ram Lalla.
Meanwhile, senior officials conducted inspections on Tuesday at places where devotees will go for the festival. These places have been made accessible through various special arrangements. Preparations were in full swing for the Chaitra Ram Navami celebration, which began on Tuesday night. Special focus is on ensuring that devotees do not face any difficulties. Arrangements for drinking water, colourful tarpaulins to protect them from the heat, and arrangements for the stay of devotees are being made.
The festival will witness a large number of people, and to control the crowd, separate teams of the district administration, the police force, and the Municipal Corporation have been deployed. Special arrangements have been made for devotees taking a bath in the Saryu river, and for their security, the NDRF and SDRF teams have also been deployed. District Magistrate Nitish Kumar, Ayodhya IG Zone Praveen Kumar, along with ADJ Amarendra Kumar Sengar, also visited the temple on Tuesday to take stock of arrangements. —ANI