The Ram temple in Ayodhya is set to extend its opening hours to 19 hours, starting with the Mangala Aarti at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday and concluding at 11 p.m. Special arrangements are in place for the celebration of Ram Navami, with curtains of the temple drawn for five minutes during each of the four 'bhog' offerings to Lord Ram.
This initiative comes in anticipation of a significant influx of devotees for the first Ram Navami in Ayodhya following the consecration ceremony. The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has appealed to distinguished guests to plan their visit for the darshan of Ram Lalla after April 19th.
It has also cancelled all special pass bookings for Darshan and Aarti of Ram Lalla between April 16 and 18. Everyone will need to follow the same path as other devotees to enter the Ram Mandir, said the Trust.
On the day of Ram Navami, starting at 3:30 a.m. during the Brahma Muhurta, arrangements will be in place for the devotees to queue up for darshan. Devotees will be able to have darshan of Ram Lalla till 11 p.m., it added.
To avoid inconvenience and wastage of time during darshan, devotees have been advised not to bring their mobile phones and other valuable items.
The trust has established a pilgrim service center at Sugreev Quila to cater to the needs of visitors. Prasar Bharati, the public broadcaster, will be live telecasting the festivities at the Ram Mandir on Doordarshan. Additionally, approximately 100 LED screens will be erected across Ayodhya by the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation for the live broadcast of the Ram Navami celebrations at the Ram temple, as per the trust's announcement.