Over 5.5 crore devotees offer prayers at grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya since consecration

Ayodhya : Ever since the consecration of Lord Ram in the newly constructed grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, the city has witnessed an overwhelming outpouring of devotion from across the country and abroad. More than 5.5 crore devotees have visited Ayodhya to offer prayers and seek blessings at the divine and majestic temple.

The rush of devotees is not limited to the general public. The temple has also seen a steady stream of VIP visitors, with nearly 4.5 lakh dignitaries, including Union Ministers, Governors, and Chief Ministers from various states, paying their respects. Prominent personalities from the film industry, business world, and sports have also made frequent visits to the holy city.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued clear instructions to ensure smooth darshan arrangements, emphasizing that no devotee—common or VIP—should face inconvenience.

With the completion of the magnificent temple, Ayodhya has emerged as a major global religious destination. The government has worked on enhancing public transport connectivity to make travel to the city more convenient for pilgrims and tourists alike. The temple’s inauguration ceremony itself was attended by notable figures from across the globe. Since then, the inflow of VIP visitors has only increased. Several Governors have even visited more than once, often accompanied by their families.

From legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan to cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, many stars visited during the temple’s inauguration. Recently, Govinda, Anushka Sharma, and Virat Kohli were also seen offering prayers at the temple.

Divisional Commissioner Gaurav Dayal shared that so far, around 5.5 crore devotees have visited Ram Temple for darshan. Most of the visitors coming to Ayodhya are pilgrims. He said the administration is making sure that everyone gets darshan safely and as per security guidelines. The number of VIP visitors is also quite high. Now, Lord Ram has also been seated on the first floor of the temple, and the number of visitors is expected to increase in the coming days.

Recently, the father and sister of Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, visited Ayodhya. Musk’s father, Errol Musk, said he had a wonderful experience and came dressed in traditional Indian attire to offer prayers to Lord Ram.

The temple authorities have made it clear that VIPs are not the only ones getting easy access—darshan is smooth and accessible for everyone, whether common people or special guests. To help manage the crowd, an online pass system has also been introduced.

Considering the increasing number of VIP visitors and the need for high-level security, the Yogi government is building a state-of-the-art VIP guest house in Ayodhya. This facility, being built at a multi-crore cost, will have five separate blocks, with arrangements to accommodate the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.