Every year, Ram Navami is celebrated on the ninth day of Chaitra Shukla Paksha. This year, Ram Navami will be celebrated on April 17. As per Hindu beliefs, Lord Ram was born on this auspicious day, hence, the whole country celebrates Ram Navami with utmost pomp and zeal. Preparations for the upcoming festival are going in full swing in Ayodhya as Lord Ram has returned to his birthplace after almost 500 years. It is estimated that about 50 lakh ardent devotees from around the world will be reaching Ayodhya to celebrate this occasion and get a darshan of Lord Ram at the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir. If you too are planning to visit the historical temple, then there are a few things you should know about.
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The temple trust, along with the help from the authorities of the city, is making arrangements so that more and more devotees can visit the temple and get a hassle-free darshan of their Lord. A meeting was held and headed by Champat Rai, General Secretary of Ram Mandir Trust to ensure that the first Ram Navami in the presence of the Lord is divine and grand.
Expecting a huge rush in the coming days, the authorities took a major decision regarding keeping the mandir open for a longer duration. As per reports, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to keep the temple open for 20 hours. So, on April 16, 17 and 18, the doors of the temple will remain open for 20 hours, instead of the normal 14 hours.
As the city is gearing up for the Ram Navami occasion, authorities are making sure visitors do not face inconvenience. Parking facilities have been provided at about 30 places for devotees who will be visiting the city for darshan. After bringing your private vehicles here, it will be best to use the local transport instead. Devotees can easily avail the services of electric buses and e-rickshaws in Ayodhya to commute from one place to another.
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Authorities have also imposed restrictions on carrying some items in the Ram Mandir premises which includes, phones, wallets, chargers and other electronic items. One can carry cash to donate at the temple. Make sure to deposit the luggage in the hotel or locker. This will help you save time as well.
The facility of offering prasad to devotees will be free in Ram Mandir Temple. If you are carrying fruits, flowers or other pooja-related things to the temple, then they will be collected in advance and will later be offered to the Lord. Directly providing anything to the Lord is prohibited.
If you are planning to visit the city during Ram Navami by flight, here is some good news for you. All the airlines are offering a special offer on the occasion of Ram Navami. Airport Authority Director, Vinod Kumar shared that the airline companies have reduced the air fares given the number of Ram devotees willing to visit Ayodhya on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Reportedly, the ticket earlier used to cost around Rs 6,783. Now, the prices have been slashed to Rs 4,176. The flight fare from Delhi to Ayodhya was previously priced at Rs 4,770. However, as per the sources, booking a ticket a day before April 16 may cost Rs 3,769. Reportedly, the return fare from Ayodhya to Delhi from April 18 to April 20 is Rs 3,400. The fare from Ahmedabad to Ayodhya for April 16 has been reduced from Rs 6,783 to Rs 4,176.
The booking from Chennai was previously priced at Rs 9,000, which has been reduced to Rs 7,000, while for Mumbai it is now Rs 6,500, which was earlier Rs 8,000. The price from Kolkata was earlier Rs 9,000 which has been reduced to Rs 6,498.
For the upcoming grand festival, devotees across the globe are waiting to see the aarti of Lord Ram, in Ayodhya on Ram Navami. This year, the enthusiasm is unprecedented and devotees are waiting to see the arrangements made at the temple. As per the General Secretary, Champat Rai, Prasar Bharati will live telecast the program of Ayodhya Ram Mandir, so that people can watch the aarti from their homes. The Municipal Corporation will install LED TVs at about 100 places in the city so that everyone can watch the program live. Water will also be provided to everyone in the scorching heat.
To avoid overcrowding, inside the premises of Ram Mandir, there will be seven lines, instead of the normal four. As per the reports, after the Shayan Aarti, it takes about three to four hours to deck up the idol of Lord Ram. While it will not be possible to remove the ornaments after Shayan aarti, arrangements have been made to ensure that devotees are not deprived of the darshan.
To ensure that devotees stay hydrated in the scorching heat, arrangements are being made to provide them with shade from Sugreev Kila till the exit of the mandir. Tents will also be set up along with carpeting of the ground. Water will be made available at various places from the entry point to the exit. Due to the soaring temperatures, authorities are fearing the chances of dehydration and diarrhoea. Hence, ORS powder will also be available.
