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
Burnol time for some people here.. Welcome to the Original Religion.
mr thogadia several poor adivasi hundus are embrasing islam and christaianity becuase of your caste system in hinduism. try to help these poor hindus.
Oh yeah!!! IN YOUR DREAMS....right.Happy dreaming Togadia!!!
oh, thogadya got wrong information may be 7.5 lakhs were converted to islam
Togadiya you doesnt know that more than 50 lkh non muslims embraced islam in last 8 years.
Whatever tricks they do to reduce Muslims, But, Allah made Islam to supersede all the religions of the earth. Allah is the best planner.
Mr.Togadiya is just following his master's foot step!! nothing new in his statement, Just look @ our honorable prime minister's statement before election and now?? look at our prime ministers statement when he was on foreign tours and when he is in our country!! only these people are fooling us!! don't give much attention for these types of ill mentality what they called leaders!!
Pravin Togadia being JAIN, why he did not convert to Hinduism before converting others to Hinduism?
Is he loosing his mental stability??
Not only Pakistani Hindus, but, they should bring back to India Srilankan Hindus, Bangladeshi Hindus, Nepali Hindus, Mauritius Hindus, Thailand Hindus, American Hindus, European Hindus, African Hindus, Middle Eastern Hindus etc., All the Hindus must come back to Hindustan. So, they will have majority.
its not new thing..........he is not true to himself..as he himself does not belong to HINDUISM. he is a Jain
Common innocent Hindus are fooled time by time.........even in Al jazeera interview Ram madhav told they do follow Hindu culture not Religion
Very very absurd news. Even if it happened, they don't know what is Hinduism and what is Islam, what is Christianity.
Go to Bombay's Maidan where dozens of educated Hindus are accepting Islam in public, without any pressure or greed.
The govt's seems itself shows Hinduism is diminishing and Muslim population is increasing.
Do whatever you want, the God' s real religion will rein for ever,
All man made fake religions will cease.
I THINK THOGADIYA HAD DREAM LAST NIGHT ABOUT THIS ,
PLEASE DONT JOKE TOO MUCH .....
RSS means liars and always lying. foolish people
Fun of the year... will reward him with \FEKU of THE YEAR\"... Jai ho..."
Muslims Worshiping ONE & ONLY GOD ALLAH, The True CREATOR.
ALLAH is the creator of all that exists, Even U Togadia.
Ye Togadia, stop spreading False news, People are not FOOLS to believe what U say.... U are old. Soon people will throw YOU and Your devils will also Forsake U.
Look for the TRUE GOD and ask his Forgiveness...
ALLAH will forgive all Sins if repented sincerely except SHIRK (associating partners with him)
STOP worshiping the CREATION and LOOK for the CREATOR. IF U R HOnest The CREATOR will guide U to know the reality of YOUR Idol Worship...
Muslims will never bow down to idols & shits & urine & monkeys- SiCK people will do such thing...
RESEARCH it if U are intelligent.
I think thogadia is totaly mental, in last 10 years more then 10 lakh Non muslims converted to Islam.
FAKE NEWS AGAIN & ONLY FOOLISH WILL BELIEVE....
togadia pagal, It's totally a fake news.
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