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
What is ur problem Mr ,go and do ur business don't interfere in our rights.
Someone must check Christina's adhar card sorry, ur id card Whether she Indian or not.
For my sisters you don't go to such college you can go to Madarasha it's best for you in this life and hereafter best education where you get .for the principal first change ur name.
why you send muslim girls to clg.. let them sit at home and help your parents problem is slowed. PFI brother dont waste your time and do not encourage
why muslim girls students using mobile can you stop tiz some of our muslim girl students roaming inside city centre can you stop tiz mybrother
go and wacth inside city centre on friday after many our commuinty student weariing hijab and roaming with their boy friend kindly try to stop tiz
I request the principles sister to were a normal dress insted of religious dress she is wearing , let her be an example for the rules she has set.
I am asking now only muslims wake up when any some so called muslims their marriges arraenging in this christhian churches why? in mangalore no muslim marrige halls ? these all are only for gimik. The college was against the sharia simply, change the college why this college only. if done like this this kind of all colleges they learn lesson .
Their marriage halls we have issue their they cooking haram things & we also cooking hallal then we no problem, because this all our dignity .throw your dignity follow Quran & Sunnah and became original muslim
If clg rules are against democracy we hv to chnge clg rules not our rights.
When injustice becomes law be on the side of justice
thn islam is peace & beautiful bt the systems are against islam thn this islam also hv certain stratagy & thts thought by prophet (s.a)
Secular? If right to cover the head is not secular for you, then there are million christians/hindu women out there wearing head scarfs including former President Prathiba Patil. So, you mean to say that they all cannot have education in India?
Ughhhhh. Individual choice yes. But college has certain rules. You don't want to follow the rules, you don't join that particular college. Also, Islam is a very beautiful religion. Let's not make it all about the Hijab.
100% they are Indians as they are fighting for their rights which is guaranteed by INDIAN CONSTITUTION. Now could you pls chek your voter ID and of the Principal who made rules against the constitution which is legally termed as Anti-Indian rule.
How can this Principal wearing head scarf frame college laws which is against to the constitution of India. Why she is allowing her sibling nuns wearing Hijab like dress and head scarf attend classes in the same college? What is her hidden agenda? How can she justify her draconian dictat??
Someone must check the voter IDs of protesters to find out whether they are really Indians
Why do these bigots go to a secular college if they want Taliban rules?
At one side head of the institutions are wearing head scarf and allowing Christion nuns whose dress code includes head scarf to follow their tradition. On the other side they are objecting Muslim girls to wear head scarf which is similar as their scarf. May I call it as #hypocrisy
Please decent girls don’t go to that college.
Students all are equal in the college
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