#ChaloAyodhya plans in place!

Ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22, devotees in the city are already in waiting to act mode. Even before the pran-pratishtha ceremony, Lucknowites — as well as people from other cities — are visiting Ayodhya while many others are planning after the ceremony.

The pre visitors

Lucknow-based housewife Shikha Agarwal went with her son Yash, mother and niece to Ayodhya. “Yash is leaving for the US on Sunday for his final year of engineering, so we went to Ayodhya to seek blessings. An adherent follower of the deity, we visited the city and attended a prayer ceremony at Kanak Bhawan. We saw the upcoming Ram temple from a distance and will come back in mid-February when the rush has lessened,” she says.

Printing press entrepreneur Jitendra Singh says, “I was in Ayodhya just a month back and the city has transformed. The Lata Mangeshkar Chowk along with the entire road to the temple adds on to the list of centre of attraction for the visitors. Though it will take another two years for the temple to take shape, with the inauguration nearing surely things are on roll in a big way.”

First timers

Soon-to-be-married Nisha Madaan and her fiancé Gaurav S Verma have decided to complete their Darshan before flying to Europe after their wedding on January 30. “Once our ceremonies are over, we want to step into a new life seeking blessings at Ayodhya before we move ahead in our lives,” shares Madaan.

Yoga guru Vineet Saxena believes that earlier he couldn’t visit Ayodhya was for a reason. “Imagine getting an opportunity to travel to visit the city for the first time in life that to around the consecration of the Ram temple. My brother is travelling from the US with his family and our plan is set for January 28 drive down-visit to Ayodhya.”

For homemaker, Minal Vimal Garg it will be a first trip too but with more to follow. “I never had a chance to travel to Ayodhya. But now I’ll be driving down with my family from Pune. I have heard a lot about the historical changes the city underwent to come up with one of the biggest temples.”

Sales professional Jyoti Singh who has all plans chalked out, adds, “My visit with family via public transport maybe by a train or buses especially activated for the tourists, will hopefully happen in the last week of this month. All things I feel are in place. My small request to the administration is a notch up security for female visitors.”

Travel set to boom

For the main ceremony, a large inventor is in place to meet the taxi demand that will ferry visitors to Ayodhya.

“We have a requisition of cars from the state government between January 20-23 besides demand for luxury cars for invitees. The travel movement has already started and post opening of temple we will have huge movement of day-tours for locals and visitors. We are advising travellers to schedule visit after February 15,” tells Rajiv Arora of Rayhan Travel House.

Hotels in the state capital are getting a lot of queries for stay during the consecration ceremony and once the temple is opened to the public.

An ode to the temple

Lucknow based artist Pankaj Gupta who made two artworks as an ode to the temple will be travelling during the month-end with his 88-year-old mother to the temple. “I have been to the city and soaked in immense spirituality from there during my visit that I have translated on my canvas with colours.”

Celebrate at home, for now!

The temple trust has issued advisory not to visit till January 26. The series of events are set to begin from January 16 and from January 19-26, the trust has appealed not to head toward Ayodhya. The government officials too have asked to celebrate at their home and visit the temple town after the entire pran-pratishtha ceremony is over