13,000 security forces, anti-bomb squads: Ayodhya gears up for Ram Mandir opening

Ayodhya, Jan 21 : The grand consecretion ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the ‘Pran Pratistha’ rituals, will be held tomorrow. Security has been beefed up in the city as part of a multi-layered security plan ahead of the event, with around 13,000 forces deployed.

Those who were part of the agitation for the temple construction will also attend the consecration ceremony. Celebrities such as Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, sporting legends Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni are among those who have been invited to attend the ‘Pran Pratistha’.

Anti-bomb and dog squads have also been deployed, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has set up a camp near the shrine in Ayodhya to respond to contingencies, if any, news agency ANI reported.

The ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony will commence at 12:20 pm and is expected to conclude by 1 pm. PM Modi will then address a gathering of over 7,000 people, including seers and eminent personalities, at the venue. Meanwhile, lakhs of people are expected to watch the event live on television and other online platforms, with many states declaring a holiday while the Centre has announced a half-day.

The newly built 51-inch Ram Lalla idol, sculpted by Mysuru-based Arun Yogiraj, was placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir on Thursday (January 18), and its first image was released on Friday.

Earlier in the day, new visuals were released by the Ram Mandir trust, showing the inside view of the beautiful temple as it geared up for tomorrow’s mega inauguration.

After tomorrow’s consecration ceremony, the Ram Mandir will be opened for public view on Tuesday (January 23).

Speaking to India Today, Uttar Pradesh DG (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar, said that besides the 13,000 forces deployed, cops are using artificial intelligence-powered CCTV to better the security system in Ayodhya. As many as 10,000 CCTV cameras have been installed across Ayodhya for 24×7 monitoring ahead of the ‘Pran Pratistha’. They are also anti-drone technology.

Rapid Action Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed at the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk. Police are conducting boat patrols on Sarayu river at frequent intervals. Anti-bomb and dog squads have been deployed at Ayodhya’s newly inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport as devotees and dignatories started arriving in the city for the ‘Pran Pratistha’.

Police have also imposed traffic diversion in Ayodhya, with vehicles having permission only allowed to enter the city from tomorrow onwards.

Movable barriers with barbed wire have been placed at every crossroad in Ayodhya, which cops use to regulate traffic, especially during VVIP movements.

Meanwhile, for smooth entry and exit of visitors, the Uttar Pradesh government has made parking arrangements at 51 designated locations in Ayodhya. There will be parking spaces for 22,825 vehicles, and these spots will be under constant drone surveillance and are conveniently marked on Google Maps to facilitate guests, officials said on Sunday.

Additional Director General (ADG), Traffic, BD Paulson said 51 places have been identified to park vehicles of guests coming for the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir. These include spots at Rampath, Bhakti Path Marg, Dharma Path Marg, Parikrama Marg, Bandha Marg, Tehri Bazaar Rampath, Mahobra Marg, and Unwal Marg, among others.

These parking spots have been built on government, private and tourism department lands. Besides, vehicles could also be parked in the multilevel parking facility built in Ayodhya.

Ayodhya Traffic Circle officer, Rajesh Tiwari said that six parking spaces located at Rampath and Bhakti Path have been reserved for the vehicles of VVIP guests. More than 1,225 vehicles of VVIP guests will be parked there.

Besides, nine parking spaces on Dharma Path Marg and Parikrama Marg have been reserved for VIPs. Over 10,000 VIP vehicles will be parked there.

Along national highway 27, eight parking spaces have been reserved for the police force, capable of accommodating more than 2,000 police vehicles. Stringent security measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of these parking facilities.

Multiple NDRF teams trained to tackle chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks, drowning incidents and disasters such as earthquakes have been deployed.

The Ayodhya administration has made arrangements to tackle health emergencies as well, especially considering North India has been gripped by biting cold due to a severe cold wave. Beds have been reserved at city-based and district hospitals and medical colleges in Ayodhya. Also, specialists from AIIMS have provided focused emergency response training to doctors at healthcare institutions.

AYODHYA AND RAM MANDIR ADORNED

The city has been decked up in view of the Ram Mandir inauguration. The temple has been decorated with “rich stocks” flowers and special lights.

Streetlights on flyovers have been decorated with artworks featuring Lord Ram, which include cutouts of a bow and arrow, and ornamental lamp posts, carrying designs themed on the traditional ‘Ramanandi tilak’.

‘Ram fir lautenge’, ‘Virajenge Shri Ram’ and ‘Taiyar hai Ayodhya dham’ are among the slogans used on posters and hoardings that spread across the city. Various verses from the epic ‘Ramayana’ have also been printed as slogans on posters at prominent spots such as Sarayu river bank, Lata Mangeshkar Chowk, and Ram Marg. The Sarayu river banks have been decked up.

-PTI