Devotees throng Ayodhya''s Ram Temple for ''darshan'', day after ''Pran Pratishtha'' ceremony

Security was steeped up at the temple, which witnessed a heavy rush of devotees at its main gate to have ''Darshan'' of Lord Ram Lalla since the grand temple was thrown open to the public today.

Devotees flocked to the temple from 3 am to offer prayers. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla concluded on Monday.

"We are very pleased. Ayodhya has decked up like a bride. We are touched even more to come to terms with the fact that we are going to have ''darshan'' of the Ram Lalla," Tejender Singh, a devotee from Chandigarh said.

On the huge crowd gathered at the gates of the temple, he said, "Lakhs of people will have darshan of Lord Ram. So it is bound to be crowded."

Another devotee said that he has come all the way from Odisha to have darshan of Lord Ram at Ayodhya.

"I have come from Odisha''s Puri to Ayodhya on bike to have darshan of Lord Ram Lalla. It was a journey of 1224 kilometres. I was very eager to have ''darshan'' of Lord Ram Lalla. When I was asked on my way where I was going, I said that that I was going to have darshan of Lord Ram at the temple which was not built for over 500 years," he said speaking to ANI.

Devotees were also seen taking a dip at the Saryu River by the temple amid intense cold weather.

"I will go to the Mandir now. I have brought rice for Lord Ram Lalla. I took a dip at the Saryu. The water was very cold," one of the devotees at the ghat said.

An astrologer who had predicted that the grand Ram temple would be built after October 2019 was also one of the devotees who queued up to have darshan at the temple.

"This is a very auspicious occasion as so many devotees have come to have darshan of Lord Ram after so many years. In September 2018, I predicted that after October 2019 Ram Mandir will be built. I had also predicted that it would be one of the most popular spiritual places in the world and thousands would come. The stars say that those who come here will have all their wishes fulfilled," Pandit Sanjeev Kumar Srivastav said.

The ''Pran Pratishtha'' of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya was held amid unbridled celebrations, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the main rituals officiated by a select complement of priests. Celebrations were also held across the country to mark Lord Ram''s return to this throne.

The ''Ram Nagri'' Ayodhya also grabbed global eyeballs, with earthen lamps or diyas lit up on a massive scale and crackers going up and dazzling the night sky in different parts of the city. Visuals also showed celebrations unfolding at the famous Saryu Ghat, with beaming locals expressing their devotion to Ram Lalla.

The ''Pran Pratishtha'' ceremony of Lord Ram was held at 12.29 pm on Monday, with the main rituals performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The idol of Ram Lalla was unveiled after the rituals.

Built-in the traditional Nagara style, the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir has a length (east-west) of 380 feet and a width of 250 feet. It stands 161 feet above the ground and is supported by a total of 392 pillars and 44 doors. The pillars and walls of the temple showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities, Gods, and Goddesses. In the sanctum sanctorum on the ground floor, the childhood form of Bhagwan Shri Ram (the idol of Shri Ramlalla) is enthroned. (ANI)