Bengaluru, Aug 4: Police barricades, yellow banners, walls with a fresh coat of paint and the sounds of bhajan mark parts of Ayodhya as the city awaits its big day Wednesday, when the first brick will be laid for the Ram temple.
Ayodhya is decked up for the bhoomi pujan that will be attended at the Ram Janmabhoomi by 175 people, who figure in a select guest list of seers and politicians topped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Concerned over the spread of coronavirus, the authorities are encouraging others not to come to the temple town, asking them to mark the occasion by celebrating at their homes. The groundbreaking ceremony will be telecast live.
Roads leading to Ayodhya display hoardings with the picture of the proposed Ram temple and of Ram Lalla, the infant Ram, the deity now housed in a makeshift temple.
Around the town’s Hanumangarhi area – named after a well-known temple which Modi will visit on Wednesday – both police sirens and ‘bhajans’ in praise of Ram are heard.
Most of the shops in the locality wear a new look, with their fronts painted in bright yellow. A large number of policemen were deployed there on Tuesday. Some sat in the sweet shops, waiting for their next instructions.
Roads leading into the area are barricaded. Yards of yellow cloth and marigold garlands were being hung on poles.
Even on the day before the event, security checks on vehicles heading to Ayodhya begin from adjoining Barabanki district itself on the Lucknow-Ayodhya road. Policemen take down details, including mobile numbers of the travellers.
Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said the focus of the force is on maintaining the Covid-19 protocol.
“So we are not going to allow any outsider to enter Ayodhya city,” he said. Prohibitory orders are also in force and not more than four people will be allowed to gather.
“The markets and shops will remain open but with strict adherence to the Covid protocol,” he said. Outsiders will be stopped from entering the city, but Ayodhya residents will be allowed in if they produce any identification document.
“We are also carrying out random checks on people living in Ayodhya to ensure that no outsiders are staying here,” he said.
The city’s temples and mosques will remain open, but no other religious event – except for the bhoomi pujan – will take place on Wednesday.
Pickets have been set up at sensitive points in the city.
Sub-inspector Ram Chandra Yadav and constables Avnish Kumar and Ankit Chaudhary man the Terhi Bazar Chauraha picket near the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
"We are here for the past some days, and were on duty on the Rakshabandhan day. Duty comes first and only after that come other things in life, like festivals," Yadav said.
Mayank Gupta, who runs a restaurant, was handing out food packets to policemen, his customers.
"For the last two months, I have been providing tiffin to them twice a day. There are around 100 policemen to whom I supply tiffin," Gupta said.
Comments
Rakesh
why sit in DOHA come to INDIA and start \Swatch Bharath\" before that clean your \"dirty mind\""
nationals=those are protest peacefully .
anti nationals=beating the people, taking law in hand, not respecting supreme court order,abusing people.
now decide who is antinational.
Dear Mohammad and Syed Jubail, Every one has a right to say his opinion or comment on any issues. so please refrain yourself from wrong comments.
Thanks to PFI to register their unhappy on Ananth statement against Islam and Muslims.
#4 RAKESH DOHA, BE CAREFUL YOU ARE NOTED BY PFI ACTIVISTS FROM DOHA.....DONT COMMENT SUCH A HARSH WORD TO MUSLIM COMMUNITY....
Rakesh Doha, Kindly refrain from commenting against muslims as you are in a muslim country and should be thankful that your daily bread is coming from muslims. First clean your thinking SWACH BRAIN
Sagar & Rakesh please give one anti national activity of PFI...
But for RSS so much available....Sindhagi flag, major bomb blast - Ajmer Dargha, Mecca Majsid, samjota Express, demolition of Babri Masjid and lot more...
We all knew after Modi government u all people are frustrated....u all require a change now better all chaddi gang migrate to Nepal because no one will disturb u there...
azadi from PFI, well known anti national group, let me give one example if your true believer of god your should support all the religion. bhagwan commented against hindu god !!! if u people are not anti national u have to protest against that also. clearly pfi related all people and groups are anti national. if u want a wonderful national please avoid protest against the one who commented on u, your god, protest against effects on each and every one,
KICK OUT RSS FROM THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY....THEY DONT DESERVE TO BE A PART OF THIS LOVELY COUNTRY.......I LOVE MY INDIA
I HATE RSS IN INDIA
WE WANT AZAADI FROM RSS, VHP,BD SRS, ANTI NATIONALISTS GROUP....
SAVE INDIA FROM RSS
PFI is only hope for the future
People criticise only those who work for the community....as you see that RSS was attacking MULIMS verbally and physically ....but time has changed .....it now attacks verbally PFI (as it has no guts to face PFI physically) because PFI fight to the limit against any elements which is against our constitution and against any Fascist so called Powers and against Anti nationals like Muthaliks who hoisted Pakistan flags
by the way we forgot that Govts taken the Sindhagi Flag issue than JNU fake slogan issues...this is real Fascism
come on people ...dont here gossips against Popular Front of India ...its all Gossips either from So called Secular Muslim leaders who for their self interest go against it ...or RSS who are seeing PFI as thret to their ultimate Goal of Brahminism INDIA
u guys cannot do anything , what happened to baby nirbhaya ( fake case) , all people know about your community mentality .instead of do some good job like swach bharath . we dont see no proactive lead taken by muslim community on this part .
guilty must be punished, good luck pfi u will get justice.
anti national protest, anti national party of india.
PFI doing good protest, protest till ananth gets maximum punishment.
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